Ch.2: Questioning Role! Remembering Garret Ravenfield!

It didn't take Wes very long to find the bar. He has been to it hundreds of time before with Flint and Ella. It was practically their personal hangout spot. Sure, it could be a little unsafe when some of the customers got drunk, but nothing he couldn't handle. After all, he had plenty of heavy objects in his bag that could knock someone out. He could use his amulets or charms, but what was the fun in that?

He looked up at the bar in front of him. The building was large and cylindrical. Most of it was dark blue while there was a black stripe in the middle. There was a neon sign that said 'Enchanted Bar' with a neon beer bottle on the side. He could already see a few people stumbling out, most likely from some really strong drinks.

He headed to the doors and pushed them open. The inside was very homey. Wooden floors, lanterns hanging from the ceiling, a bar, some booths parallel to it, etc.

He walked over to the bar and sat down, waited for a bartender to come up and take his order. He didn't really bother looking through the menu. Again, he's been here hundreds of times before. He just needed something he could afford. He'll probably take a mini pizza or a platter of wings. Anything to calm his angry stomach.

He felt someone grab him from behind and spin his around in his seat. A Meinshao who obviously had way too much to drink. "You're in my seat, punk…"

Wes blinked. "Yeah, uh…you weren't in it. I didn't see any food in front, so…yeah, not your seat."

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me, buddy?"

"Says the moron who disturbed me…" the Umbreon muttered under his breath. He sighed and said, "Look, I've had a long day and I just want something to eat."

"Oh! You think you're just SO important, huh?!"

"Seriously, you may want to lay down." Wes was pretty calm. He has dealt with pirates, dangerous traps, and the wrath of his parents when he was younger. An angry Mienshao wasn't on his list of worries.

"I don't need to take orders from you!" He reared his hand back and prepared to use Force Palm. "Now get out of my seat before I-" That's when a hand grabbed him from behind. An Emboar with an annoyed expression. He wore a light blue shirt, jeans, and an apron.

"Care to explain why you're bothering my customers?"

"Yeah! He took my seat!"

The Emboar narrowed his eyes at him. "Buddy, you weren't even sitting at the bar. You were at a booth." He pushed him out of the bar. "Now go home and get some rest before you hurt someone. Or yourself." The Mienshao stumbled out, muttering to himself. He shook his head and looked back at Wes. "Sorry about that, kid."

"Heh, all cool, Lenny."

Lenny walked around the bar and stood in front of him. "So, would you like the usual?"

"Eh, no. I'm kind of on a tight budget at the moment. Are there any specials?"

"The Fireball Omelet is half off."

Wes smiled. "Ooh, then I'll have that and some bubbling pop."

"You got it, kiddo." He headed to the back to prepare the food.

Wes tapped his paws on the counter as he patiently waited for his meal to arrive. Maybe he should have asked Flint to come along with him. He shook his head. He was probably finishing up some work. He was always trying to get some form of work done.

"Hey Wes." He turned around and saw an Espeon, wearing a white buttoned down shirt and black skirt. She was balancing a tray on her head as she walked by.

He smiled. "Ella, hey. How are you doing?"

"Busy as usual. Here for a late lunch?"

"More like an early dinner. I'm kind of low on bits at the moment."

"I'm guessing your little raid this morning didn't go well."

"Pretty much." He laid his head on the counter and sighed. "Sometimes I feel like I'm digging my own grave. I nearly got kicked out of my apartment twice last month. I'm not in the mood to go through that whole fiasco again."

Ella went to the sink and placed the dishes in before washing them. "Did you at least find some rare gemstones? You can sell those for a good number of bits."

It was true. While searching for magical trinkets doesn't always go well, the gemstones he collects are a different story. Some are common, some are extremely rare. They're the only reason he hasn't starved himself yet. "Wish I could, but they're closed due to that woodeater locus infestation."

"Yikes, forgot about that. Well, I'm sure your next raid will go well." Raid? She made it sound like he broke into people's houses. Maybe once or twice, but still.

"Actually…I'm taking a short break. As you've said, my hunts haven't been going well."

"Hey, Mysto is practically infinite. You may find something."

Mysto had some strange properties to it. Other regions are divided up into towns and forests. Mysto, however, was divided up into zones. Each zone had a different biome and different cultures. Then there's the magic tunnels littered throughout the region. Any hunter lucky enough to find one would find untapped treasure and valuables. Sadly for Wes, he possessed no means of finding them. He has only heard tales of it from his father.

Still, he has always wanted to find a magic tunnel. The possible locations he could end up in were just mind boggling. They're practically different dimensions. Each with some bizarre landscape or feature. They're the main reason he learned the Warp Tunnel spell. He used it for quick escapes in case something went awry in his trek.

Wes chuckled. "Yeah, you have a point. So, how are your classes coming along?" He and Ella rarely see each other because she has most of her classes in the morning.

"Pretty good. We're learning more about the Malum text. I'm able to understand half of what it says." Ella took some classes in translating ancient text or any language for that matter. "And you?"

The Umbreon sweatdropped. "Oh, you know…the usual?"

The Espeon sighed. "Nothing, huh? Honestly, your mom is putting in money for you to go. Can't you be a little more appreciative?"

"Why is everyone ganging up on me today? I'm just not interested in school. I dealt with high school, I don't need to deal with college classes."

"Wes, there is a reason most treasure hunters aren't successful. It's because they either get themselves hurt or become broke. I don't want that to happen to you."

He sighed. "I know…Mom always told me to follow my dreams. And my dream was to become like my dad. You think I'm living some childish fantasy?"

She smirked. "Well, you do act like a little kid from time to time."

He chuckled. "I'm being serious here."

"Sorry. Look, I'm not the one telling you how to lead your life. Only you can decide that. What I'm asking is that you take better care of yourself."

"Okay…"

"And who knows? Maybe you'll get your next big break tomorrow."

"Maybe…thanks for cheering me up."

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Heh, yeah. So, how have you been?"

She shrugged. "Been alright. Work has been a pain in the tail for me. You try balancing work and college every day and you'll see what I mean."

He laughed a bit. "Heh, yeah." He tapped his paws on the counter and sighed. "Listen Ella…I've been meaning to talk to you about some things."

She sighed. "Is this about six months ago?"

"Uh…"

"Wes, we've been over this. I just couldn't deal with your crazy adventures anymore. After what happened, I just can't deal with that kind of worry anymore."

"But you loved adventuring with me."

"Yes, when I was still a teenager and when I had no sense of caution." She took a rag and started cleaning a dirty glass. "I grew up, that's all."

Wes rested his head on the table. "I just want to continue my dad's legacy…" He spun around in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "He was one of the greatest treasure hunters to ever live. It really hurt me when he died. He was my idol…my hero…" He shook his head, forcing himself not to release a stream of waterworks. "It…really hurts me when someone says I'm just…wasting my time. This is more than just a job to me…"

Ella narrowed her eyes in sympathy, but didn't show it as she focused on cleaning. "You're still the same little goofball from kindergarten…" she muttered with a smile.

Wes sighed, but his mood changed when he saw a plate slide down to him. It had an omelet drizzled with hot sauce. "Ooh! My Fireball Omelet!" He took a fork and shoveled it into his mouth.

Lenny shook his head as he grabbed Wes' soda and slid it down to him. "I'll never understand how he's able to stomach that without burning his tongue."

Ella looked at Wes for a moment. It amazed her how he could be sad one minute, then happy the next. He never did like staying on one subject for too long, otherwise it'll give him a headache. Seeing the Umbreon sad was never a pretty sight. "Hey boss?" she spoke up. She walked over to him and whispered, "Mind if I cover for his meal?"

"How come?"

"Eh, just want to help him out a bit. Just tell him he's the one thousandth customer or whatever."

He smiled. "Sure thing."

His little talk with Ella did help his mood a bit. Plus, he got a free omelet. Who would have guessed he'd end up being the one thousandth customer? His luck scared him sometimes. Anyway, he was walking down the neighborhood, having no real destination. He just wanted to take a stroll around the place.

This was the neighborhood he grew up in when he was younger. Rows of two story houses with beautiful lawns. He had some great memories of this area. He remembers playing with Flint and Ella, running around and playing ball, or playing a long game of Hide and Seek. There were a lot of places to hide in. Wes once hid in someone else's house to win. Then he got kicked out. Ah, good times.

He eventually stopped. He came across his old house. It's been a year since he left. He regularly visited his mother. In fact, he should see if she was home. She always enjoyed surprise visits from him and Flint. Now that she lived alone, she didn't have many people to talk to. Sure, she had friends around the neighborhood, but still.

He smiled and walked over to the door. It has been three weeks since he last saw her. Best to check up on her from time to time. With his mind made up, he raised his paw and knocked three times.

He waited patiently for a response. Then, the door opened up. A Sylveon wearing a yellow, flora patterned dress. She held a spatula in one of her prehensile ribbons. She must have been cooking.

She smiled happily. "Wes!" Suddenly, he found himself wrapped in her ribbons and his cheek squishing against hers. "Oh, how's my little baby doing?"

"Mom!" he complained with an embarrassed blush. He sighed and hugged back with a smile. "Hi Mom."

She kissed his cheek. "Please, come inside, sweetie." She stepped out of the way and let him in.

He looked around at the old place. Modest style home with a fireplace, a lovely kitchen, a couch and chair, a rug underneath them, and a coffee table. There were a few pictures on the mantle.

He smelled something good coming from the kitchen. He licked his lips. "Mmm, whatcha' cookin'?"

His mother chuckled and walked over to the kitchen. "I'm going to a small get together later with the other neighbors."

"Oh, I'm not bothering you, right?"

"Oh Wes, no. I enjoy your company. And since you're here, mind helping me out with a few things?"

He smiled. "Not at all."

"Can you get some cinnamon from the cabinet?" He nodded and walked over to it. "So, how have you been?"

"Uh…pretty good." He reached into a cabinet and looked for cinnamon. "I went on a hunt earlier today."

"Oh my. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

He chuckled. "Of course not, I'm fine. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, sweetie. I trust you."

Wes looked down a bit and pulled the cinnamon out. "I decided to maybe take a break from the treasure hunting. Just until I can…get my living situation sorted out."

His mother nearly dropped the pot she was holding. "Wes, what does that mean?"

"Eh…tight budget?" He smiled awkwardly.

She sighed and sat the pot down on the burner. "If you want, I could give you some extra bits."

He held his paws up and shook them frantically. "N-No, you don't have to do that." He's greedy, but he would never ask for money from his mom. It just wouldn't feel right. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

"Wes…"

"I'm serious. Look, once the gem store is opened up, I can trade in a few gems for some money. Promise."

She narrowed her eyes in concern. She didn't want to pressure him, but sometime his actions worry her. "Alright…" She turned back to her cooking. "Are you sure you're doing alright?"

"I would never lie to you, Mom. Sure, my luck has been less than spectacular lately, but I'll be fine."

She pulled the pot off the burner and set it on a cool one. She walked over to him. "Is this about anything else?"

He tried to smile, but it ended up into a frown. He sighed and sat on the couch. "I was talking to Flint earlier and…he said everyone thinks I'm making a mistake becoming a treasure hunter."

"Oh sweetie…" She walked over to him and sat down. "That's not true. I approve of your life choice."

"That's not what Flint told me…"

She bit her lip before saying, "Well, yes, I was concern. But that didn't mean I wanted you to give up on your dream. I just want you to be happy."

"But what if I don't find any more valuable treasures or trinkets? Mysto may be infinite, but the temples sure aren't."

"I know it's tough. Believe me." She smiled at the pictures sitting on their mantle.

The Umbreon turned a bit and looked at them. One of them was of him and Flint, still as Eevees, wrestling with a Jolteon wearing Wes' hat. Another one was of the Jolteon putting his arm around young Wes while he wore the hat, which covered his eyes because it was too big.

"Your father was always exploring wherever he went. Sometimes I worry if he'll hurt himself. Sometimes I question if he'll ever find anything useful or to put money on the table. Yet he always comes through. Leaving for long periods of time was rough on us.

"Still…your father had a certain charm to him that I couldn't resist. I remember how you and Flint would just bounce around waiting for him to come home."

FLASHBACK

Two Eevee were running the living room excitedly. It has been two months since their father has gone on his trip and they were being energetic and impatient.

"Is he here yet? Is he here yet? Is he here yet?" Flint asked as he wagged his tail excitedly. Both he and Wes wore black overalls, but the difference was Flint wore a blue shirt and Wes wore a red shirt.

Their mother chuckled as she prepared a 'Welcome Home' lunch for everyone. "Calm down, you two."

"But Mooom!" Wes whined. "We want to know!" He jumped on the windowsill and pressed his face up against the glass. He gasped. "There he is!"

"Really?!" Flint cheered.

The young Eevee frowned. "Oh wait, it's just a balloon." The older Eevee frowned. Wes pulled his face off the window, leaving a foggy impression of his face on it. He stomped his right foreleg. "Where is he?!"

The Sylveon walked over and wrapped her ribbons around him, holding him close. "Dearie, please be patient. Both of you." She wrapped them around Flint and pulled him over. "I promise your father will be here soon."

"Okay…" they both muttered. That's when the doorbell rang and they gasped. "DADDY!" They jumped out of their mother's hold and ran to the door.

Wes jumped on Flint's head and opened the door. They frowned upon seeing it was just the postal man. "Package for the Ravenfield residence."

Their mother walked over. "Hello there. Who's it from?"

"Garret Ravenfield."

"Daddy?" Wes and Flint perked up.

He chuckled. "Yep." He handed the package to their mom and she sighed for it on the clipboard. "You have a nice day." He walked off.

She closed the door and set the package down. Flint frowned. "Daddy's not coming…?" Wes looked like he was on the verge of crying.

Their mother rubbed their heads. "Now, now, I'm sure he has a reason why." She unsheathed one of her claws and cut the tape off.

They jumped back when the package started bouncing up and down. The flaps opened up and a twister of white magic fired out, hitting the ceiling. A shape formed in the center of it. It was spiky and had for legs. A chuckling occurred from within in it as it dispersed, spreading throughout the house.

They waved the magical smoke away and gasped upon seeing the figure. A Jolteon wearing a black fedora, white scarf, a black leather jacket, jeans, and aviator goggles. On his back was a backpack.

He tipped his hat. "What do you think? Too much? Too flashy? Opinions, please."

"DADDY!" Wes and Flint ran over and tackled him to the ground, snuggling and hugging him.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around them. "Oh boys, I'm happy to see you too!"

The Sylveon giggled at the adorable sight and walked over to them. "Welcome home, Garret."

The Jolteon stood up with boys wrapped around his neck and planted a kiss on her lips. "I've missed you too, Vivian. How have things been since I was gone?"

She nodded. "Everything has been good. Wes and Flint are doing well in school. Although, Wes has been sneaking out quite a bit."

"Really?" He grabbed Wes and tickled him. "Well, aren't you the little explorer?" He giggled and squirmed in his hold.

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage him."

"Hehe, sorry." He set the boys down and rubbed their heads. "Have you two been good little boys?"

They nodded. Flint said, "Yah! I got a gold star for good behavior!"

"I got a bouncy ball!" Wes cheered.

Garret raised a brow. "How come?"

"Found it in a tree! I climbed up it and got it!"

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Of course you did." He rubbed his head. "Speaking of getting stuff, guess who brought home presents?"

They gasped and, once again, tackled him to the ground. They jumped excitedly on him. "Presents! Presents! Presents!"

Garret coughed a bit from the bouncing and lifted them off. He chuckled, saying, "Hey, I'm not a bouncy castle, you two." He set them down and got to his feet. He pulled his backpack off and reached into it. "For your mother, I got her…" He pulled out a vase with iridescent colors. "A vase from Sandstone City. It was quite the bargain to get. It's a really old antique. But I feel it was worth it."

"Oh honey…" She grabbed it with her ribbons and kissed his cheek. "It's lovely." He smiled.

Flint jumped in front of him. "Me next! Me next!"

"Hey!" Wes whined. "I want to be next!"

Garret rubbed his head. "Flint asked first, buddy." He leaned down to his ear and whispered, "Besides, want to save the best for last, right?" The child giggled. He stood up and reached into his bag. "Close your eyes."

"Okay!" Flint closed his eyes, then covered them with his paws.

The Jolteon pulled something out. "Hold out your paws." He did so and he set it in them. "Alright, open."

He opened his eyes and looked at the bowler hat in his grasp. "Wow…"

"You like it? I thought it would look good on you."

He placed it on his head and it fell over his eyes. He giggled. "I like it!" He hugged his neck. "Thank you!"

He hugged back. "You're very welcome." He turned towards Wes. "And finally…you." Wes smiled brightly. "Close your eyes." He did so as Garret pulled the object out and set it down in front of him. "Alright, open up."

Wes opened his eyes and gasped at the messenger bag sitting in front of him. "My own explorer bag?!" He ran around it with glee. "Best gift ever!" He tackle hugged his father and nuzzled him. "Thank you!" He let go and ran over to the bag.

Garret rubbed his cheek and laughed. "You two just love hurting me, don't you?"

Wes opened up the bag and looked inside. "Cool…" He leaned it a bit and, without warning, fell in. "EEEEEEE!"

Vivian began panicking. She set the vase down and ran over to the bag. "Wes! What's wrong?!" Her eyes were boggled as she saw the blue, cosmic void inside the bag.

Wes spun around in it. "WEEEE!"

She pulled her head out and deadpanned at her husband. "Really?"

He shrugged innocently. "Hey, he said he always wanted an explorer bag. Why not just give him an enchanted one?"

She sighed and looked back in. "Will he be okay? He won't drift off forever, right?"

"Relax. All you have to do is call over the item, or in this case Wes, that you need and the bag will bring it to you."

"Okay…" She reached her ribbons in and thought for Wes. She felt something her grasp and pulled it out, revealing her youngest son. "Oh Wes!" She hugged him close. "Are you alright?"

"Uh huh!" He squirmed out of her grasp. "That was fun! Again!" He ran back to the bag and jumped in. "WEEEEEE!"

Vivian narrowed her eyes at Garret, who smiled awkwardly. "Well…at least he likes it." She couldn't stay mad at him any longer and began shaking her head with an amused expression.

After they had lunch (And finally coaxed Wes to stop jumping into the bag), they spent the day together at the park. They tossed a Frisbee around for a while. The adults laughed as their children chased after the flying disc, seeing who would get it first.

Next, they got ice cream. It made the kids squeal up until they got to the shop. Garret said they could get whatever they wanted and they both agreed on one of everything. Vivian was less than pleased with this and told them to get two flavors only. Thankfully they listened or she would have had to deal with two sick kids later.

The rest of the day was spent just hanging around the house. After dinner, the boys tag teamed their father and wrestled with him.

"RAWR!" Wes roared cutely as he jumped off the couch and jumped on his father's back. He bit his ear and tugged on it.

"Oh no!" Garret mock shouted in horror as he stumbled around.

Flint giggled and hugged his leg, then proceeded to lick it.

"AH! It's tasty me!" He fell to the ground. Then the boys dogpiled him, laughing. "You have…defeated me." He closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out.

Vivian giggled and shook her head. "Alright, time for bed."

"Aww!" Wes and Flint whined.

Garret stood up. "Your mother is right, boys. You don't want to wake up groggy and irritated, do you?"

They shook their heads. "No…"

He smiled. "Hey…if you brush your teeth and get to bed, I might tell you a story." They gasped and ran up the stairs, heading to the bathroom first. He laughed at their excitement.

Vivian smiled a bit. "You were going to tell them a story anyway, weren't you?"

He chuckled. "Of course. But this just gets them to bed faster." They walked upstairs.

Wes and Flint ran into Wes' room and laid in bed. They wore blue and red pajamas respectively. They pulled the covers over them and waited excitedly for their father.

He walked and sat on the bed. "Alright. Who's ready for a bedtime story?"

"ME, ME, ME!" they both shouted, raising their paws up high.

"Good! Now, which should I tell? Hmm…oh, how about the time I went into the Realm of Confusion?"

"Ooooh…" the boys awed.

"The Realm of Confusion?" Vivian parroted, leaning against the doorsill.

"Yeah, it was a crazy afternoon for me." He turned back to his sons and spoke with a dramatic tone, "There I was, searching for the Ankh of Distortion, when suddenly the ground under me collapsed!" They gasped. "I fell into a rainbow colored wormhole, falling for who knows how long. Then…I stopped falling. My feet touched down on the fluffy ground and my vision was bombarded with weird and unusual visuals.

"Rocks light as air, waterfalls falling upward, the ground was in the sky, and many strange things that it could drive a normal man insane. But I pressed forward, not letting this change in environment deter me. No, I pressed forward and continued my search. I felt as if this was where the Ankh of Distortion was.

"I faced many disasters. Tornadoes of earth, volcanoes that spewed freezing water, and blizzards of fire."

They gasped again. "Oh my gosh! Did you make it?!" Wes asked with a panicked tone.

"Though it was a treacherous journey, I did make it. Then I came across the ankh. I was so close. I inched closer to the podium it laid upon, when suddenly…I was attacked by a Guardian."

They yelped and held each other. "A Guardian?!" Flint shouted fearfully.

"Yes. It was a vicious fighter, no doubt about it. It had the sole purpose of protecting the ankh at all costs. He slapped me across the field. But I didn't let him get the better of me. I casted a tsunami of lava on top of him, followed with a rain shower to trap him in rock. He punched his way through and rammed me, delivering an uppercut right into my chin. He knocked out one of my teeth. That's when I got mad.

"I summoned up the energy in my body and fired my strongest attack…" He winked at Wes, who gasped in delight.

"The Mystic Beam!" he cheered.

"That's right! It tore through the Guardian's body and reduced it to its natural element. Once I got the ankh, I made my way out of the realm."

"Wow…you're awesome, Daddy," Wes praised with sparkling eyes.

"Yeah!" Flint added. "I want to go on adventures like you."

He chuckled and rubbed their heads. "Maybe when you're older. Until then, just stay young. You two aren't in any rush to grow up." He walked over to the door and switched the lights off. "Goodnight, my little explorers."

"Night, Daddy…" They yawned and fell asleep.

FLASHBACK END

Vivian sighed. "Those were good years."

"Yeah…I miss Dad…"

His mother smiled at him and patted his back. "I do too, Wes. I do too." She stood up and walked back to the kitchen. "Not a day has gone by where I haven't thought about him." She chuckled. "You're a lot like him. Always getting into trouble, ready to go on some new adventure…you really did take after him."

Wes smiled. "Yeah…but the difference is he had better luck than me. He always came home with some new trinket. Me? I got a standard concealment knife."

"I'm no treasure hunter, but I believe it takes more than luck. Your father studied Mysto and magic for many years of his life. I'm sure if you applied yourself a bit more, like him, you might get somewhere. After all, nothing is impossible for a Ravenfield."

Her son chuckled. "Thanks Mom…you still need help with your cooking?"

"I can handle everything else, don't worry. But thank you for visiting."

"No problem." He walked over and hugged her. "I'll see you later."

She kissed his cheek. "Take care." With a wave goodbye, he made his way out the door. He looked at the sky. It was already getting dark. He must of lost track of time.

As he walked, he recalled all of today. All his friends and family made some good points. No one said being a treasure hunter was going to guarantee fame and fortune.

But he still had to try. His dad never gave up. Why should he? Ever since his father's passing, he has been mastering several different and unique spells to improve his arsenal of wizardry. Yet, no matter how much he learned and practiced, there was always some key detail that seemed to elude him. College never taught students how to find magic tunnels or any skills for treasure hunters. It was either learned from other hunters or self-taught.

His main problem was finding them. They could lead him to strange new dimensions full of magical artifacts and possibilities. But that kind of life has consequences. It wasn't like everyone was discouraging him to give up. Although, that's just friends and family.

Much like how the world sees pirates, treasure hunters were considered the lowest of the low. They made a profit of rare valuables. Now, he can't exactly deny he hasn't stolen a few things in his career. He was wanted in a few cities for a reason. His bad habit of greed got him into trouble on multiple occasions. It was always Flint and Ella that would get him out of trouble. They were there to protect him from…himself. And he appreciated them for that.

So when people see him as a treasure hunter, he would get dirty looks or menacing scowls. It never bothered him or made him uncomfortable, though the same looks over and over again tend to get boring. Whatever happened to just chasing him with pitchforks and torches? Granted, no one has done that sort of rioting for centuries, but still.

Why hasn't he quit yet? Well, apart from the fact it's fun, he does want to continue his father's legacy. Sure, he may be a little reckless and doesn't think plans through until the very last minute. But if his dad could do it all, so could he.

Eventually, Wes came across an apartment building. He went over to a room marked '3' and opened it. The walls were an olive green and the floor was white carpet. There was a bed in the corner, along with a desk. He had a blue couch that sat across from the door. Looked pretty normal, except for one problem…

The room looked like it was ransacked, only it never was. Food littered the floors, with an old pizza laying in a box under his couch. Blankets were thrown across the room. Spellbooks and papers were scattered across his desk and his bookshelf, which sat next to the couch. There was so much stuff littered everywhere that it was nearly impossible to traverse through without stepping on something.

With a sigh, Wes began picking up the aged food and threw it into his trash bin. He should really take better care of this place. He's usually in a rush to either hunt or get homework done, so he never has time to clean his apartment up. Next, he picked up the blankets and folded them as neatly as possible. He wasn't known for keeping his place tidy.

He didn't worry too much about the disorganized papers. He took off his jacket and placed it on a hook on the door, along with his hat. He took his pants off and replaced them with green, flannel pants. He yawned tiredly. He usually goes to bed much later, but he was making an exception for today. All he wanted was to catch some Z's.

He jumped into his bed and pulled the blankets over him, but he didn't drift off immediately. He looked at some pictures sitting on his nightstand. One showed him, Flint, and Ella with their arms around each other, smiling and covered in scorch marks. He smiled. That was the day they were searching for a magical item in a volcano. Boy, that was messing.

Another one showed Wes and Flint with their mom and dad. They were snuggled up to their parents with big grins, while they wrapped their arms around their children. That always brought a smile on his face.

Then there was one that made him happy and broke his heart. A picture of his dad giving him his hat. It was so odd. His dad treasured that hat like his own child. So it surprised the Umbreon when he gave it to him. Why did it break his heart?

…that was the last time he saw him alive.

A month after his father left, they've gotten word he died in a mysterious accident. It left the Umbreon in a deep depression for several weeks. He couldn't eat, sleep, or even move without feeling emotional pain. Flint, while he didn't take it as hard, was just as saddened by the loss. Their mother cried for days, horrified to have lost the man she loved.

Everyone in the Ravenfield family suffered from his death. They said a few things during his funeral. A lot of his friends were there to give some words, especially Hal. He and Garret had a long history with each other. So it would make sense for the former pirate to shed some tears for the Jolteon.

Wes sighed and turned onto his back. No one was sure what caused the accident, but he knew one thing. That accident is what makes his friends and family concerned about his safety. What if the same thing happened to Wes? Would he get killed if he made one wrong move? Hard to say, but it was possible.

The Umbreon could never understand how something so simple could happen to his father. After fighting Guardians, surviving volcanic eruptions, and battling pirates, an avalanche is what kills him. It just never made any sense to him.

He shook his head. He shouldn't be overthinking this. He really needed to get some sleep.

Before he did, he looked up at the ceiling and said, "Hey Dad…I'm not sure if you can hear me up there…but I need your advice. What do you think I should do? I want to be a treasure hunter just like you…yet I don't know if I'll ever make it to the top like you. I like going on adventures, but I just don't know enough about the world to understand the big picture. Adventuring is hard, yet I live for the challenge. But I also need to support myself. What would you do if your passion affected your life?"

As expected, he got no response. He sighed. It was worth a shot. "Well, thanks for listening to me…I guess." He turned to his side and closed his eyes.

Hopefully tomorrow was better…