"Well, well, well. Look at who we have here." An unfamiliar voice spoke. I turned, along with everyone else, to see a guy with blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a leather jacket like Lukas' and wielding an enchanted diamond sword. "What, was that temple too much for you and your simple minds Jess and Jesse?" I growled at the guy, flicking my ear flap as two others appeared right next to him, as he jumped down to our level.
"Actually, I think we got what we came for Aidan." Jess spat, glaring at them. "Oh really? You were looking for another injured pet?" Aidan asked, looking over at me. "You missed giving it a black eye, like your stupid pig, if that was the case." He snorted. The two beside him glanced over at us awkwardly. "Hey, how about you back off." Petra snarled out, looking ready to grab her sword. Jesse stepped in front of us. "What are you Ocelots even doing here?" "Ha!" Aidan laughed. "The Ocelots were Lukas' gang. We ditched that name just like we ditched him." "Yeah, we rebranded." The girl said, looking like she was wishing he hadn't spoken. "We are the Blaze Rods now." Aidan finished for her, looking so smug. I could tell that most of us were ready to fight them, some more than others, like me. Lukas was actually a pretty cool dude, and I knew for a fact that I would not let what these creeps get away with what they had said. "Blaze Rods!" The other guy shouted happily. It seemed like he was just happy to be a part of their gang. "Shut up Gill." Aidan snapped.
"Look at you, some heroes you are." Aidan glared at Jess and Jesse, switching between who he was glaring at. "Once the Order decided that you were cool, Lukas wouldn't stop hanging around you like a tamed dog - and with how many pets you have-" "Kyle isn't a pet! He's a caring person, and a hero! Like Lukas is! Unlike all of you." Jesse snarled. "Could have fooled me." Aidan said, back to looking smug. "How much do you want to bet that the next time you go on an adventure, you lose one of those pets?" Jess and Jesse suddenly pulled out their swords, glaring at Aidan. Aidan, looking very scared all the sudden, pulls out his own sword again, and raised it slightly. Soon, everyone had drawn a weapon, except for Axel, who was more of a fist to fist kind of fighter, and Olivia, who had her bow ready, arrow drawn.
"Some hero you are." Aidan glared, seeing how out-numbered he was now, before taking a few steps back, and running away, the other two 'Blaze Rods' following. The Order put their weapons away, still glaring at where Aidan and his goons had run off to. "Those creeps." Petra growled. "Yeah, he's certainly changed." Jesse said, though anger was evident in his voice still. "I think we should keep an eye on him, as much as we can. He did just threaten Ruben, Lukas, and Kyle." Jess said, looking over at me. "I fear a dead Witherstorm more than I fear him right now." Axel said, also looking at me. "I wouldn't underestimate someone based on how they were in the past." I said, looking at them seriously. "I agree with Kyle." Petra said. "Aidan seems to b pushing Maya and Gill around now - and with Lukas no longer with the Oce- I mean, 'Blaze Rods' are not really a group we can trust." Petra rolled her eyes at the new name of that group. "But if they kicked Lukas out like they said they did, then where is he now?" I asked, accidentally making Jess look more worried. I winced at her worried look. "I don't think they would have hurt him." Jesse said, trying to keep everyone calm. "I think he would just be hurt that his so called friends left him." I said, before shaking my head, trying to get rid of all the bad thoughts that were running around. "Let's head back to town." Jesse said, trying to keep his calm.
After a while of walking back, the sun had risen in the sky, and we were now able to recognize the outside of the town's walls. "So good to nearly be home again!" Axel boomed. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Petra said, looking at the forest for a bit. We were soon back in town, and I mentally prepared myself for what was sure to come. "AH!" Someone screamed the moment we were in sight of everyone who was up so early. "RUN! Tell everyone that our heroes have returned!" A collective groan rang out among us, though we tried to hide it with fake smiles the moment nearly everyone in the town came into sight. Well, all but one of us. "That's right! The Order of the Stone is back in town!" Axel shouted, causing the crowd to emit more roars of cheers. I tried my best to not audibly groan when someone started to compare our armors, and when someone held us back because they wanted high fives from Jesse and Jess.
I let out a gasp as someone suddenly let out a scream of pain, and all of us looked to see that a very ugly looking... thing had been built right in front of the treasure room. "Not my fault!' Ivor's voice rang out, and this time I did let out an audible groan. "Ivor." I whispered, shaking my head when Petra turned to look at me. She rolled her eyes. "Hey, Ivor, causing trouble?" Jess asked, looking up at the tower. "Of course not!" He yelled back, indignantly. "He needs to tear this down! It's a fire hazard!" Some woman yelled out, looking pissed. "I live in this town too! I can build what I want, and so I built a house, with loads of LAVA POURING OUT OF IT!" Ivor shouted back at her. "Ivor, I know you mean well, but your 'house' wants to kill people!" Petra yelled back. "We have to tear it down!" The townspeople were nearly chanting. "Tear down this awesome house?" Axel asked, looking over at Olivia. "I know!" Olivia said, agreeing with Axel on something for once.
"Ivor, I know that you mean well, but your house is a fire hazard." Jesse said, before turning to the townspeople. "Tear it down." The people let out roars of agreement, and started to tear down the.. 'house'. "Good call Jesse." Petra said. But before anything else could happen, Ivor jumped down from his house and ran over to Jesse and Jess. "First it's lava houses, but what next?" Ivor nearly shouted again. "Who knows what kinds of rules you'll be imposing." "Don't be a sore loser Ivor." Olivia said, even though she sounded like she didn't agree with what they had chosen to do. "Look Ivor, I'm sorry about your house-" I tried, but Ivor interrupted me. "You of all of them should know what it is like to have rules forced upon you!" I let out a low growl. That was something I had told him only because he had, for whatever reason, had comforted me after a really bad nightmare. "Woah!" Jesse growled out, stepping in front of me defensively. Petra looked ready to draw her sword again, and even Ivor himself seemed to think that had gone too far. "I'm sorry Kyle, I should not have brought that up." He said, voice low again.
I blinked, looking down. I had no idea what to say about that. Ivor seemed to have taken that the wrong way. "Okay, Ivor, we checked out that temple you lead us to an-" "Oh man!" Jess was interrupted by Axel. "We forgot about your wing!" I shrugged. "Well, it's not-" "If you say it's not that important I swear..." Petra trailed off purposely, looking at me. I shut my mouth very quick after that. "We can patch up his wing, then we can show you what we found." Jess said. "Me and Axel will stay here and make sure the lava doesn't spread." Olivia said, waving as the rest of us nodded, and walked away, waving back.
When we got into the treasure room, there was somebody already in there, and I blinked, before smiling. "Lukas!" Petra and Jess yelled out, looking at a person who had been standing in the treasure room when we had gotten there. "It's so good to see you again!" Jess yelled, as she pretty much tackle hugged him to the point he nearly fell over. "Hey!" Was all he could say at that moment. "Nice seeing you around again!" Petra said, with a grin. "Hey, if you are my dad, then I guess Lukas would be my uncle." I whispered to Jesse, who had burst out laughing at my question. "What's so funny?" Jess asked, looking over at me and Jesse. "Nothing, nothing." I said, trying not to laugh. "You are a terrible liar." Lukas said, shaking his head at us. "Well, sorry Uncle Lukas." Jesse said, in a mocking tone. Petra burst out laughing at that, and I couldn't hold in my laughter anymore. "We can laugh at your family moments later – I do believe that your son needs medical attention." Ivor said, looking directly at Jesse as he said that. "Yeah, you guys catch up, we'll take care of Kyle." Jesse said.
Soon, we were in the area that Jess had dubbed the 'Med Bay'.