Welcome To Aplonica

This chapter is part of "The Small Town Magic Arc." Links for prior chapters in this storyline can be found here: https://www.theprose.com/post/746871/the-small-town-magic-arc

The crew's rental vehicle finally passed a "Welcome to Aplonica" sign, finally bringing them to the destination of their mission. Surrounding them were massive stretches of farmland, the only buildings present being scattered barns and small houses.

"Is this right Mitch?" Rick questioned. "This seems more like country than a small town."

"Let's keep driving a little farther." Mitch grinned. "Maybe this new destination will surprise us."

After five minutes of driving past farms, the crew found a small pizza shop, with a building labeled "Aplonica Hitching Post" across the street. A small, but pretty looking church followed the pizza shop, and other small businesses with charming architecture lined both sides of the street. An ice cream shop, multiple diners, and a comic book store were other sights that were observed by the newcomers. They drove by a few parked cars, but they mostly noticed people walking to and fro, smiling and waving to the guests that had arrived in their town. They drove by the art park that Tamma had mentioned in their call, which consisted of a stage in the center, a quaint museum on one side that probably represented the town's history, and the other side showcased many colorful, abstract statues, along with a grand statue of a man and a young girl that the crew suspected could represent Tamma and her father Jahno.

Almost everything visible felt warm and companionable, but one thing felt off. Multiple signs lined the streets and buildings, and they all read the following message:

"Preserve and value your life, and the lives of your fellow townspeople. Don't forget to set aside the appropriate tax for Cyclo."

"This is such a beautiful town, and those signs are a complete eyesore." Essie remarked.

"We'll fire Cyclo from his job, and allow these folks to go back to completely enjoying their peaceful home once again." Cerissa said softly, but with resolve.

Essie smiled and nodded at her comrade, Rick and Mitch following suit.

Mitch continued driving until they approached another traditional, snug business that fit in with the rest of what they had observed so far. The building had a sign that read "The Aplonica Coffee Bean & Brew."

"This is where Tamma asked to meet up with us." Mitch said enthusiastically. "Let's go say hi!"

To be continued....