MCSM: Forgotten Demons (sequel to A World Unwound) [HIATUS]

~Chapter Seven~

"Hey!" Lukas objected as the rest of them followed her. "I'll have you know hero life isn't entirely horrible."

"Which is why we only seem to see you when something's gone wrong." Aiden pointed out.

Lukas found this hard to argue with. "You guys came to Beacontown a few months ago."

"Yeah, but that was more to see the changes to the town than for you. No offense. But speaking of that, now you get to see our town." Gill said with a dramatic wave of his arm.

A small cobblestone path led away from the house towards a large group of other buildings. The Blazerods seemed to live on the edge of the village, though it was only a couple minutes before they had reached the center of the town.

Lukas had trouble deciding where to look first. The place was a quaintly fascinating mix of building styles, simple beginner's houses next to more complicated builds. None of the buildings looked show-offy; they served their purpose and that was that. The whole town had a comfortably humble feel, and Lukas loved it instantly.

"I'm so glad you guys managed to make this place work for you. You really lucked out on location, huh?" He asked, nodding towards the thick forest visible in the gaps between houses.

"Yeah. It hasn't fully lived up to the 'city' part of its name yet, but it doesn't need to. People are a lot happier than they ever were in Sky City." Aiden said.

"Gill! Marilan!" A female voice called from behind them, and the group turned to see a tall woman coming towards them. She had long black hair in a high ponytail, and wore a loose yellow top and black pants. It was only after Lukas noticed the little white chicken trailing behind her that he realized she was none other than Isa.

"There you all are, I've been meaning to ask you- oh! Lukas! You're alright!" Isa interrupted herself.

Lukas grinned. "Yeah, mostly. Good to see you again."

"Indeed it is, although I do wish it could've been under better circumstances. Your friends told me what happened. They've all been a big help in creating what you see today, though it's really thanks to you and your Order that we had this opportunity." She said.

Not quite sure how to respond, Lukas simply replied, "It's really good to see how this place has turned out. I'm glad you guys got this chance."

Isa nodded, smiling proudly. "Yes, I daresay we've come quite a long ways since we first set foot on this land."

"You said you were looking for us?" Gill cut in. Isa turned to him. "Right, yes. It's nothing major, I just had a few potion questions."

"I can stop by later and help you out, if you want." Marilan offered. The black-haired woman nodded again. "That would be wonderful, thanks."

"You know, if you have potion questions, you could just go to Ava. We were just on our way over there." Aiden suggested, which prompted an eyeroll from Isa. "That girl. She may know her potions, but goodness knows she's hard to speak to."

"I know what you mean." Maya grumbled, not relinquishing her hold on her grouchy mood. Isa gave her a slightly wary look, then said, "Well, if you've got somewhere to be, don't let me keep you."

"She seems...startlingly different." Lukas commented as they continued down the stone road. Aiden bobbed his head in agreement. "I know, right? She's gotten way more relaxed about...well, everything. Like I said, everyone's happier here."

"Marilan and I may have partially been the cause of that, which is why we're a bit closer with her." Gill explained. "We helped teach her and Milo a lot about surviving down here, especially before Aiden and Maya were deemed trustworthy. After she felt more confident living on land, it was easier for her to let go of her stricter leader qualities."