MLII C6, P1- "The Reunion"

"The Reunion" is the first Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's sixth Chapter. It was released on 27.05.2021.
== Plot ==
Hearing of his grandfather's death, the young hero Allister is very saddened. He wishes to see where he was buried, so he could bid him farewell and move on.
Our heroes decide that it would be best to honor his wish, so they join him on his journey towards the Lokian capital, where he plans to pay his respects to the man who helped him become who he is now.
Their visit is cut short when a small group of bandits infiltrates the capital and attacks Allister and his allies. Albeit their attack does not succeed, this makes our heroes realize that they are not safe from whatever imminent danger is making its way towards them.
A wave of insecurity and unrest hits everyone as they prepare to fend off yet another dangerous enemy.
== Story ==
Allister stumbles back. He clearly did not expect to hear this.
"No... no."- He mumbles- "You... you're lying. He's alive!"
Lethal shakes his head.
"Believe me, my boy. I regret saying those words. I regret having to put you through this nightmare."- He says- "However, it must happen. This is the life that we chose to take... and we must accept it, whether we like it or not."
Suddenly, Allister leaps to his feet and grabs Lethal by the shoulders.
"What did you do to him?"- He yells- "What did you do to my grandpa?!"
Aleks realizes that the situation is getting worse and decides to step in. He carefully separates Allister from Lethal and pushes the boy next to a nearby wall.
He sighs and decides to tell everything to the bewildered boy.
"Allister!"- He yells- "Allister! Listen to me!"
As suddenly as it happened before, Allister's expression changes. In a few moments, he manages to calm down.
At least for now.
"Mr. Kaos. I... I'm sorry."- He says- "It's just that he really means a lot to me. So much that I thought that... that... "
Aleks smiles and pats him on the head.
"I understand now."- He says- "You're a troubled child, neglected by your own family. Your grandfather was the only person who understood you, who gave you the motivation to continue fighting for what you love and be who you are. And that's why you ran away- to find him. To be with him."
He stares into his eyes. He sees insecurity and fear within them.
It is not uncommon to see. Most people become depressed after the deaths of their loved ones and lose the motivation to continue what they have been doing before. This is also the case with Allister, who is unfortunate enough to lose the only person who truly cared for him.
"Is this true?"- He asks him calmly, trying to understand his problem as well as possible.
Allister nods.
"Y-yes, sir."- He says nervously- "It is. It is."
Aleks smiles.
"It's okay, my boy."- He says- "Your grandfather may not be here anymore, but we are. And we will do what he has always done- protecting you and giving you the motivation to be a hero."
"Remember that you are not alone."- He hastens to add- "No matter what happens next, you will always be a part of our big family. Everything will be alright, as long as we stay together."
Allister nods.
"I... I want to see him again."- He mutters- "His resting place, where is it? I can't move on without bidding him farewell."
Aleks and Lethal stare at each other. They know that it would be dangerous to let Allister go to his grandfather's resting place alone, but they also know that it would be better for him.
Finally, they come to a conclusion.
"The Lokian Capital."- They say at the same time.
----A few hours later, Allister goes to the western gates of Paris. As he tries to leave, Aleks and Jared hurry up to him.
"Wait!"- Jared says- "Are you sure that you want to go there? It is dangerous!"
Allister shakes his head.
"Dangerous or not, this is my grandfather."- He responds- "I must pay my respects, no matter how dangerous it may be for me."
Aleks places his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Then let us come with you!"- He says- "This journey will be dangerous for you. You don't have to go alone!"
Allister nods and notices someone standing behind them.
Jared notices Allister's interest and takes a step back to introduce the girl to him.
"I see that you noticed that it is not just us who will be coming with you."- He says- "This is Meggy, a good friend of mine. She will be joining us on our adventure."
Meggy nods and smiles.
"Welcome to Paris, Allister."- She says- "It's nice to meet a fellow warrior. It'll be an honor for me to fight alongside you, side by side."
Allister smiles back.
"It's the same for me."
After saying goodbye to some of the people in Paris, Aleks, Jared and Meggy join Allister on his journey towards the Lokian capital.
The journey itself is mostly uneventful. A few goblins attack them in the forest near the capital, but they are easily dealt with.
However, as they approach the gates of the Lokian capital, a wave of nausea hits Jared. He stands next to a nearby wall and looks down.
"Son!"- Aleks says as he stands next to him- "Is something wrong? What happened?"
Jared shakes his head.
"It is alright. I am fine."- He responds- "But I have a bad feeling. A really bad feeling."
He starts to see something that his allies fail to notice. His eyes get wider.
"Something bad is going to happen if we go in there."- He says- "I do not like this."
Meggy raises her eyebrow.
"Something bad?"- She says- "Jared, the war's over. There aren't any enemies around here anymore. The guards will protect us."
Jared shakes his head.
"Allister's enemies."- He continues- "They are always watching. If we go in there, they will corner us and prevent us from getting out. It is not safe."
Aleks and Meggy stare at each other, concerned and confused. Allister looks around nervously, fearing that the bandits may arrive at any minute.
"Maybe it's better if you stay here for now."- Aleks says to his son- "I think that the death of Allister took a toll on you, too."
He turns to the rest of his allies.
"Let's go."
As they start to enter the capital, Aleks turns to his son.
"We will be back very soon."- He says- "Just stay here and rest."
Jared tries to stop them, to no avail.
"No!"- He yells- "The enemies! They are-- "
Suddenly, he hears something in the distance and stares at the area ahead of him. He sees a small group of bandits approaching the fort.
"It is just as I feared. They are coming for him."- He says to himself- "I must warn the guards!"
Unfortunately, the guards seem to be as worried as he is. They decide that it is not safe to stay on the walls and retreat inside the fort.
"Come on!"- Jared yells- "Why do I have to do everything by myself?!"
He looks at the approaching bandits again and confirms that they are getting closer to the settlement.
He aims his bow at the nearest bandit and prepares to shoot.
"I will not let you hurt those people, you vagabonds!"- He yells and begins to shoot arrows at them.
----Meanwhile, Aleks, Meggy and Allister approach Allister Sr.'s grave, unconcerned about the chaos that is stirring around them.
"Your grandpa must have been a great person!"- Meggy says to Allister.
Allister nods.
"He... he meant everything to me."- He responds- "Every good deed that I've done, it was thanks to his guidance and patience. He was a skilled teacher who taught me the way of the sword at a very young age."
Meggy smiles.
"He helped become a hero."- She says- "He must be proud of you, even when he isn't around anymore."
Allister sighs.
"I really hope so."- He responds and takes another step forward."
As Allister approaches his late grandfather's grave and begins to pay his respects, he hears someone approaching him. Before he can react, a cold dagger is pressed against the back of his neck.
"We found you again, Allister."- Someone says to him- "You can never escape from us."
Suddenly, he hears a gargling sound and turns around. He sees Aleks stab a bandit in the chest.
"This fool tried to kill you."- He says as he throws his body to the ground- "Looks like we're not safe yet."
Suddenly, a small group of bandits leaves their hiding spots and surrounds them. Deciding that taunting them would be a bad idea, they draw their weapons and attack them.
Meanwhile, Jared manages to kill the last invading bandit. He realizes that another group managed to sneak into the capital while he was busy fighting this one.
Without thinking twice, our hero rushes into the settlement. He attacks the nearest bandit and manages to kill them before they can harm Meggy.
"Thanks!"- She says as she eliminates another bandit- "Looks like you're right. There are bandits in here!"
Jared nods and sighs.
"They are trying to kill Allister!"- He says and runs forward- "We must hurry!"
Aleks and Allister fight side by side, killing as many bandits as possible. A few moments after most of them are dead, one last bandit gets out of his hiding spot.
Unlike most of the bandits that our heroes had to fight, he is very muscular, agile and possibly an expert in whatever trickery they are using to fight their enemies. He also uses a sword to fight, unlike most of his fallen comrades.
Aleks slowly raises his sword to the bandit's chin as he approaches them.
"Back off, you filthy scoundrel."- He says to him- "I am not going to let you harm the boy."
The bandit shakes his head.
"I came here to hunt down Allister White."- He says- "And I will hunt down Allister White!"
With a combination of enhanced strength and deadly precision, he charges at Aleks and attacks him.
As he struggles with him, he realizes that he is no mere bandit. Something about his abilities is making him unsure what to do next. Finally, he decides that it would be best not to show him any mercy and attacks him back.
Jared and Meggy manage to slay the last bandits who are invading the capital. They rush to help Aleks fight this new, dangerous enemy.
"I will kill all of you!"- The bandit screams- "All of you!"
He turns around and sees Jared. He grins.
"Jared Kaos! What a surprise to see you here!"- He says as he fights Aleks- "It doesn't matter, though. You will die along with the rest of your friends!"
Jared draws his weapon.
"We will see about that, you fiend!"- He mutters and attacks him.
Jared manages to pull the bandit away from his father and fights him instead.
As concerned townsfolk run to the town square to watch the battle, Meggy runs forward to calm them down."
"Fear not, citizens of Lokia!"- She says, trying to sound as convincing as she can be- "Jared Kaos is here! He will keep you safe, just like he always has!"
Although they are convinced by Meggy's words, the townsfolk cannot help but notice how powerful this bandit is. This plants a small seed of terror into their hearts. They consider running away from this battle, knowing that it might not end well for them.
The bandit notices how the townsfolk are shying away from them and laughs.
"See, kid? Those people don't really care about you!"- He says to Jared- "Although you saved them from evil many times, they still don't trust you. You're nothing more than a one-day wonder to them!"
Jared is angered by those words. He points his sword at the bandit's chest.
"I do not care if those people trust me or not, you fool!"- He responds- "As long as they fight for the right side and do what is right for everyone, I will gladly protect them with my life! And people like you will never break their spirits! Mark my words!"
When they finally realize that Jared truly cares for them, the townsfolk return on the town square. One by one, they start cheering for Jared.
"We're not going to give in to our fears!"- One of them says.
"Your kind does not scare us, you vagabonds!"- Another one adds- "Kill him, Jared!"
Soon, the entire crowd is cheering for Jared. This distracts the bandit, long enough for Aleks to join the fight and stab him in the shoulder.
"I think that you're mistaken, my friend."- Aleks says to him- "The townsfolk respect those who have risked their own lives for them and they're always ready to cheer for them. Your insults have only managed to strengthen their resolve further than it ever was before. Soon, you and all of your friends will be hunted down. It's inevitable and you know it well."
The bandit tries to say something to Aleks, but fails to do so, as Jared stabs him in the right side of the neck.
As he slowly bleeds to death, he falls to his knees. He stands up, tries to say something that would make him sound confident. Then, he falls to his knees again, unable to keep his balance.
"Just die already."- Aleks says, stoically- "It's all over for you."
The bandit reaches for his sword. He tries to attack Aleks, but soon falls to his knees again.
Finally, the blood loss is too much for him to handle. He falls to the ground and dies silently.
Jared shakes his head.
"He was foolish until the the end of his life."- He mutters- "What a way to leave this world behind."
He turns to his father.
"Throw him and his friends into the river."- He says- "People like him do not deserve a burial."
Aleks nods, grabs the corpse and throws it into the river without hesitation as relieved townsfolk watch from a distance.
Meanwhile, Meggy does the same to the rest of the bandits, making sure that she doesn't miss any of them in the process.
Allister and Jared approach the grave that they intended to visit.
"Your grandfather, he... "- Jared begins- "He was a good man. He managed to save my life, but lost his in the process. He may have been a bad person once, but he died as a hero. That is what matters the most. That is why I respect him so much."
Allister nods.
"I will always remember the way he treated me, the way he showed so much love in everything that he did."- He says- "He may be gone, but his legacy will live on. We will continue fighting in his name and we will defeat our enemies... together."
He takes a step forward and salutes him.
"Thank you, grandpa. Everything that you have done for me, I will never forget it. Never."- He continues- "Rest in peace and remember that there are still heroes in this world. Heroes who will fight evil until their last breaths. Heroes who will always remember you as a hero, no matter what you may have done before."
He leaves a bouquet of flowers next to his grave, bows and wipes a tear from his right eye.
He slowly turns around and looks at Jared.
"My grandpa's sacrifice was not in vain, right?"- He asks him hopefully- "You will continue fighting evil?"
Jared nods and smiles.
"Yes. I will continue fighting evil, just like I always have."- He responds- "What happened today, it is something that cannot be ignored anymore. This is a threat that endangers everyone. A horrible and unspeakable deed, done by vengeful bandits who want nothing more than striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. And we must hunt them all down."
Allister nods.
"I agree."- He says- "Let's make my grandpa proud!"
Jared nods and walks forward. Allister does the same.
Soon, the four of them meet up near the gate.
"So, Allister."- Aleks says to him- "Did you pay your respects to your grandfather?"
Allister nods, now much more confident than he ever was before.
"I have."- He says, his eyes beaming with pride- "I'm ready to fight our common enemies."
Aleks nods and smiles.
"Very well, then."- He says- "While you were paying your respects, I analyzed the equipment that our enemies were carrying with them. It was hard to do so, as they were covered in their blood. But... I did see something."
Allister's eyes light up.
"Did... "- He stutters- "Did you... "
Aleks nods.
"Yes. I found out who is trying to kill you, my boy."- He responds- "It's the Darkness of Duskwood gang. And they're not far away from our home- the city of Paris."