Chapter 4 – Welcome to Wolfhaven (Leon)
"Then why don't we go and ask him?" Jacob said, looking Leon square in the eyes.
Leon blinked. He opened his jaw and closed it a couple times, trying to think of a way to explain his reasoning without upsetting Jacob. Things were fine with just the two of them. They always have been. Last night was just a fluke– adding someone else to the mix was more risk than it was worth.
But Leon spent too much time thinking. Jacob leaped to his feet. "I'll go ask him, then!" And he bolted toward the door.
"Jacob, wait!" Leon sprang up and ran after him, past the door and into the hall. Their short run came to a stop as Jacob pivoted towards the Audino at the front desk.
"Excuse me, ma'am," Jacob called. "What room is the Cubone in?"
"Please don't run off without me," Leon said, putting a hand on Jacob's shoulder.
"It's just down the hallway!" Jacob retorted.
"Still…"
"The Cubone?" Audino repeated. "I'm afraid you just missed him," she gestured toward the exit. "He checked out and left about half a minute ago."
"What?!" Jacob stared at the double-doors, looking crestfallen. He glanced at Leon. "Maybe we can…?"
Leon's mouth formed a thin line. "I mean…"
"If you're ready to check out," Audino spoke, sparing Leon the trouble. "You may. But, that Cubone did ask me to give you something."
Leon and Jacob turned back to her, and their eyes widened to see Jacob's shiny, copper pocket watch, held out for them to take.
"Well, we're finally here," Leon cheered as they walked up the street. "Wolfhaven!"
Streets of pale-red bricks sprawled out before them, forming orderly, gridlike routes between stone buildings, some of which were up to three stories tall. Lively townsfolk moved about in every direction, leaving no place vacant.
Leon skipped and hopped his way through the streets, basking in the warm sun and energetic atmosphere of Wolfhaven. To the left was a fancy theater, where a pair of Bellossoms bought tickets to a show. But Leon turned his attention to the opposite side of the street, as he smelled the aroma of coffee and baked pastries from a café, and residents enjoyed breakfast on a patio.
Further up from the café was what looked like a market district, with stores that sold food, traveling gear, and other goods.
"Check this out, Jacob!" Leon hurried ahead to an ice-cream shop, where several mons enjoyed sundaes, banana splits, and other frozen treats inside. There was a small line waiting to get their own scoops from a Glaceon at the counter.
"How about we get some ice cream?"
But Jacob wasn't beside him. He was trailing behind, walking slowly and staring down at the bricks.
"Huh?" Leon hurried back to him. "You okay, Jake?"
Jacob paused, then glanced up at him with a weary expression. "No," he said glumly.
"What's wrong?" Leon asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Jacob gently pushed his hand off. "William," he replied.
"Oh." Leon glanced away for a moment, looking at a Sneasel and Hawlucha who laughed at some joke as they passed by.
"I mean, yeah, it's a bummer. But there's not much we can do. And you got your pocket watch back, right?"
Jacob lifted his arm up, holding the copper watch. "But I wanted to get to know him, too. Maybe make a friend." Suddenly, he looked Leon in the eye. "Why don't you trust him?"
Leon tapped his fingers together. This was supposed to be a happy day. "Well, we talked about this. We just met him, and I don't wanna get mixed up with strangers–"
"Leon. Not all strangers are bad guys."
Leon paused, stunned by Jacob's forwardness. He never expected that their first day in the big town would start off like this.
Meanwhile, he spotted a Buizel and Frogadier leaving the ice cream shop. Frogadier tripped and dropped his cone, but the Buizel lunged and caught it, returning it intact to his now-grateful friend. Leon's face fell as yearning welled up inside of him.
"I know, I know," Leon uttered. "I just wanna keep you safe, is all."
"Would it be dangerous for me to thank him?" Jacob asked. "I never even got to do that."
Guilt reverberated through Leon's spine. "Well…"
Jacob glanced away, giving attention to his pocket watch instead of his brother.
Leon could hardly think of a worse way for their big day to start. The silence coaxed a sigh out of him. "Okay, Jake. You have a point. I'm not gonna trust everyone we meet, but… I'll try to be a little more open."
Jacob turned to Leon again, though he still looked a bit disheartened.
"And, hey," Leon patted his brother's back. "Things are still looking pretty good, right? We've made it this far, and soon we'll get to join the guild, and meet all sorts of people!"
Jacob's expression softened. "Yeah… that's fair."
A smile formed across Leon's face. "So, still want ice cream?" Behind him, an Ampharos and Dragapult walked out of the store, chatting as they each enjoyed their cold scoops. The sight of strawberry-oran swirl made him lick his lips.
"I mean, I kinda do," Jacob admitted. "But I don't have much money left."
"I could pay for yours, too," Leon offered.
"Umm…" Jacob held his hands behind his back, rocking back and forth on his feet. Suddenly, his face brightened into an eager expression. "What if I win it from you in a race?"
Leon blinked. "Another one?"
"First to the guild wins! ThreeTwoOne-go!" And then Jacob was hurrying up the street, beckoning Leon to run with him.
"H-hey!" Leon bolted after him, and the two brothers sprinted their way through town. They passed by a hotel– Tranquill's Nest– where a few outgoing guests stepped out of their way as they ran by. A few called out to them.
"Those two are hyper, huh?"
"Careful not to trip."
"Reckless youngsters!"
Then they passed by a statue in the middle of town, depicting the three Legendary Beasts. The statues sat on an island in the middle of a big fountain where about a dozen kids played and splashed in the pool and jets. Leon ran to the left, while Jacob ran right, and they met up again on the other side, still running.
"Getting tired?" Jacob called.
"Not a chance!" And Leon pulled ahead, challenging Jacob to speed up even more.
The two blazed further into the north-end of town. They ran past more houses, and Leon noticed a particularly rustic-looking house with a sign that read 'Loomis's Mini-Museum.' Just outside of it, a Growlithe and shiny Rockruff chased each other in circles.
But in less than a minute Leon skidded to a halt, sweeping his eyes up the biggest building in all of Wolfhaven.
Jacob scurried beside him a second later. "Hey, why'd you stop?"
"Because of that," Leon pointed, his jaw hanging open.
"Whoa…" Jacob craned his head back.
Wolfhaven's guild was built from bright birch wood, spiral stone columns, and tiered roofs made from vermillion shingles. Several windows checkered the walls over three floors. On the center of the roof there was a large, prismatic glass spire, diffusing the sunlight into small, rainbow beams.
Up ahead was a small set of stairs leading to the front door, which was propped open as several mons came and went from the guild hall.
Leon and Jacob shared excited smiles.
"This is it," Leon said. "It looks even cooler than I imagined."
"Well what are we waiting for!" Jacob replied, and they bolted toward the front doors.
After a quick climb up the stairs they entered the guild, and the main hall sprawled out before them. It was a large, open hall, reaching to the top of the guild's three stories. Even more mons shuffled around inside, moving to various rooms.
On the left side Leon spotted three doors. Each door had a sign above them, and from front to back those signs that read "Mail Room", then "Library", and finally, "Team Dormitory". The right side mirrored the left with three more doors, with their signs reading "Dining Hall", then "Lecture Hall", and finally, "Medical Wing."
"Whoa… Where do we even go?" Jacob wondered aloud as mons passed by them.
"Over there," Leon pointed straight ahead. Toward the back of the hall was a reception desk, with a set of stairs on both sides of it leading to the upper floors.
Leon and Jacob approached the front desk, where a Furret greeted them. "Oh, hello! Can I help you?"
"We're here to join!" Leon said.
"New recruits, excellent! You'll need to see the Quartermaster," the Furret pointed to their left, where a line of mons faced an Excadrill, standing outside of the 'Team Dormitory' door.
"You came just in time," Furret added, gesturing over her shoulder toward a large wall calendar. The current date was circled: Sunday, September 8th. "Today is the last day to join for the Autumn term," she explained. "Good luck!"
"Thanks!" Leon called as he and Jacob hurried over to the line.
Jacob hopped up and down, rattling his watch's chain as he bounced. "I can barely stand still!"
Leon chuckled. "Well, don't burn yourself out too fast. We'll still have training and stuff coming up."
"What do you think we'll do first? A mountain climb rescue? Or maybe a deep cave dive?!"
Leon couldn't help but laugh, catching Jacob's contagious enthusiasm. Though he stopped as the mon in front of them, a Quilava, stared back. The fire-type had a stern, unblinking gaze, as if he was sizing them up.
But he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Hi there," Leon waved. "You here to join the guild, too?"
The Quilava rolled his eyes, as if to scoff at Leon for stating the obvious.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'?" Leon ventured.
A small ember sparked from the Quilava's head vent as he looked forward again.
"Where are you from?" Jacob asked.
Quilava looked over his shoulder, staring at Jacob with a sour look. "Ashmill," he finally spoke. The three of them stepped forward as the line moved.
"Never heard of that place," Leon replied. "You here by yourself?"
"You're not?" the Quilava shot back.
"I mean, no…?" Leon tilted his head toward his brother. "Why would we be?"
The Quilava shook his head and resolutely stared forward, apparently deciding to not give Leon any more time.
"Okay then, I guess." So much for being open. Leon leaned toward Jacob. "Pretty cold-shouldered for a fire-type, huh?"
Jacob nodded. At least they could agree on that.
The two stayed quiet as they waited to meet the Quartermaster. The line moved slowly, yet steadily. Idle noise filled the hall as mons moved to and fro, and Jacob clicked his pocket watch. After a few minutes, the line thinned enough for Leon to see the rugged-looking Excadrill.
The Quartermaster had a conversation with the cold-shouldered Quilava, then handed him a pair of keys.
"Who's next?" Excadrill addressed the brothers in a deep voice.
Leon and Jacob shared smiles, then stepped forward. The Excadrill's stony face hardly moved as his scanned eyes over the two. "Names?" he asked.
"Leon – Jacob," the brothers answered in unison.
"Where you from? And how old are ya?"
"We're both from Bethany," Leon responded. "And I'm seventeen."
"Fifteen," said Jacob.
The Quartermaster tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. "Usually, recruits gotta be at least eighteen to join. Closer to evolvin'."
"But you can make exceptions," Leon quickly added. "I've heard about them before. The age requirement isn't official–"
"Yeah yeah yeah," Excadrill raised a claw. "I don't need ya to tell me about the guild I already work in. Anyway…"
The Excadrill tilted his head down, tracing his eyes over Leon's form. He spoke again after a few seconds.
"You look like you're in good shape. And there's a certain hunger to prove yourself– can see it in your eyes. You'd be cuttin' it close, but I'd be willing to grant you a chance to prove your worth to the guild."
He then turned to Jacob, looking him over as well. "But not your buddy."
Leon's eyes bulged and Jacob's jaw dropped.
"Excuse me, what?" Leon shot back. This had to be a joke, right?
"We can train only so many recruits," Excadrill said, not changing his tone. "He's too soft, needs some more meat on his bones. Not to mention, a couple more years of school. He'd have a better chance at sellin' cookies."
Leon's gaze shifted between Jacob and the Excadrill, and between the former's utter shock and the latter's stoic face, they couldn't look more different. He steeled himself, curling his hands into fists.
"He's not just my 'buddy.' He's my brother. And we–" he pointed to Jacob. "–Are a package deal. I'm not joining unless he joins, too."
"Bye then," the Excadrill waved them aside. "Next."
Leon's frustration flared like boiling water. Beside him, he heard Jacob's watch clatter to the floor as he dropped it.
"Hold up!" Leon exclaimed. "We're not leaving just like that! Where's the Guildmaster?"
"Busy," Excadrill replied. "Now step outta line."
Leon looked to Jacob, silently asking him to pitch in. But Jacob was stunned silent, crestfallen as his tail drooped. Leon shook his head and faced Excadrill again. "Listen, we traveled here from Bethany. It took us three days to get here. We didn't come all this way so you could tell us 'no'!"
"No," the Quartermaster spat back, indifferent. "Take your sappy drama to the theater down the road. Otherwise, come back next year."
Before Leon could protest further, a Machop stepped ahead and Excadrill started talking to him instead, pretending like Leon and Jacob weren't there.
Though still angry, Leon bent over and picked up Jacob's watch, helping him out of his stupor. "Come on… Let's go."
The hopeful recruits still in line stared on as they walked back out. A few looked sympathetic, but some were smirking. A few even pointed and snickered as they left the building.
Leon sulked around town with his brother in tow, silently fuming. While the residents of Wolfhaven went about their day-to-day routines, the town's cheery atmosphere seemed to mock them and their predicament. They visited the shops, restaurants, the park, and other lively places, but nothing improved Leon's mood. Eventually, they took a turn at an alley to get away from the noise and sunshine. His building frustration finally boiled over.
"Unbelievable!" Leon bellowed as soon as the noise around them dampened.
"Hey, bro?" Jacob meekly spoke up. "It's bad, yeah, but…" He scratched the back of his neck. "It could be, um, worse…?"
"I don't see how. We went through all that time and trouble to get here, almost got lost, just to have them tell us to get lost." He grunted and kicked a stone, sending it tumbling down a dark alley between two buildings.
"So, now what?" Jacob asked.
Leon's head slumped over. He set aside his backpack and slid down against a wall. "I… I don't want this to be a wasted trip," he said in a small voice. "But the guild's the whole reason for us coming here. Recruiting stops tomorrow, so…" Leon paused, then sighed. "I don't know what to do."
Jacob settled down next to him, curling his tail around to offer its warmth to Leon.
"I'm sorry, Jake," Leon said quietly.
"Don't be," Jacob replied. "You didn't do anything wrong."
A small grin crept up on Leon's face as he huddled closer to Jacob. As bad as this situation was, he could at least count on his brother being there for him.
"You know," Jacob continued, "if you wanna join by yourself–"
"Not gonna happen," Leon cut him off. He refused to even consider that. "We're a team. We go together."
Jacob formed a bittersweet smile. "So, I guess we come back and try again next year?"
Leon rested his head in his hands. "Maybe, but… There's gotta be something we can do."
"Hey, maybe I can help you out," a voice called out from the alley.
Leon perked up, suddenly alert. "Who's there?"
A lone mon emerged from the shadows, walking forward with a confident, shark-like grin and a swagger to his step. He had a green body, with a cream colored underbelly, yellow markings, and a leaf for a tail: a Snivy. And he carried a cylindrical backpack with a single strap, swung over his back.
Leon and Jacob rose at the same time, with Leon holding an arm out to shield his brother.
"'S'cuse me, strangers," the Snivy said. "Couldn't help but overhear your little dilemma."
"Who are you?" Leon asked. This Snivy didn't look like a fighter, but Leon's pulse quickened just the same.
"Call me Corvo," the Snivy said, putting his hand to his shoulder as he bowed. "And I've got a bit of wisdom I'd like to share with ya: there's always another way, if you look for it. And if you wanna get in with the wolfies, you've just gotta try a little harder."
"Really?" Jacob's expression brightened and he stepped around Leon. "We still have a chance?"
"You just might, my fire-tailed friend." Corvo slowly paced. "I see folks try to hook up with the wolfies all the time. You two aren't the first ones they've turned away, believe me. 'Specially not today. Just cuz they say no, don't mean you gotta go home."
Leon folded his arms and kept close to Jacob. "Then, what are we supposed to do?" he asked cautiously.
"You've got to prove to 'em that you're made from tough stock, and that's easy enough. Just show 'em some plunder from an outing."
Jacob tilted his head. "Huh? Plunder?"
"He means treasure," Leon said.
"Yeah, you're on the right track." Corvo leaned back against a wall, and he brandished a silver coin. "Those guild types like to talk a big game, 'bout taking the high road, doin' the right thing. 'Honor' and whatnot. But they're like anyone else; they won't turn away a nice shiny trinket if you show it to 'em."
Ding! Corvo flicked his coin up, flipping it skyward and letting it fall back to his hand.
"Treasure? Ooh!" Jacob's eyes lit up.
"So you're saying we should… Bribe our way in?" Leon's distrust solidified. This guy sounded like every bad guy from all the cautionary tales, wrapped-up in a green coat.
"Hmm, bribe's not the prettiest word to use," Corvo said airily. "I'd call it 'flexing.' Think of it as cutting out the middle 'mon. Why go through a pointless test when you can show 'em you already know how to get the spoils, am I right?"
"But we don't have time to look for treasure anyway," Leon said, shaking his head. "That doesn't really help us out. So if you'll excuse us…" He turned to walk away.
Corvo's head tilted down and his grin grew wider. "Oh, but you don't have to. Cuz I'm a bit of a raider myself, and lucky for you–" He swung his bag around and pulled out a small burlap sack, "–I've got some shinies on hand."
He opened the bag and his face glowed. He tilted it toward them to reveal sparkling pieces of gold and opal. Leon and Jacob's mesmerized faces reflected on the jewels and precious metals.
"Oh, wow! Pretty!" Jacob remarked.
"That's impressive," Leon agreed. "But it's also a bit convenient."
"And what couldya mean by that, brother?" Corvo grinned as he closed the sack.
"You having a bag of treasure, and just so-happening to meet some guys who might need it. I doubt you're doing this just to be nice– there's a catch, isn't there?"
"Well now, funny you should offer," Corvo said as he swung his pack back onto his back. "Now I'm a warmhearted fellow, but I've got my own needs, too. So get this, not too long ago a punk stole something… important to me."
"What is it?" Jacob asked.
"Hmm, details don't make much a difference. All you gotta know is that this guy stole a black bottle from me. A valuable black bottle."
Leon tensed up. "I don't like where this is going. What exactly are we getting ourselves into?"
"I can tell you this," Corvo continued. "He's an Axew fella. You know what they look like? Red eyes, gray-green skin, little tusks out the mouth?" He raised his hands up, drawing imaginary tusks beside his own face. "Anyway, this punk jacked my stuff and ran off north o' town. Going to Moonrise Canyon, I bet."
"You 'bet?' And if he's not there?" Leon asked irritably.
"Hey, sometimes you gotta take a chance, brother." Corvo leaned back against the wall. "Track him down, get my… 'merchandise' back from him, and bring it back to me by nightfall. I'll give you this treasure, and you tell the wolfies you got it from Snake River Falls or something. They let you in, everyone's happy. Easy enough, right?"
"And you can't do this yourself, because…?" Leon pressed.
"Tch, you're gonna bite the hand that's feedin' ya?" Corvo scoffed. But when Leon didn't waiver, his grin faded and he kept talking. "Well, I've got some other business to take care of. Gotta do a little extra when some of your stock goes missing, you know what I mean? Anyway…" Corvo crossed his arms. "That's my offer. And it sure don't look like other folks are lining up to help you out right now. So, do we got a deal?"
"This sounds like fun!" Jacob cheered.
Leon glanced at Jacob with a puzzled expression. Did he not realize that this guy was setting them up? That made it even more pressing for Leon to make sure they didn't get sucked into a bad situation.
"Strangers out of dark places have gotten us in trouble before," Leon said. He took a step toward Corvo, narrowing his eyes. "You've got something to hide."
"And you've got something to lose." Corvo waved him off and started to walk away into the alley. "But hey, have it your way…"
Jacob nudged his brother, giving him a pleading look.
A realization struck Leon. Even if this whole deal was shady, it still gave them a chance to join the guild. And if he let it slip by, Jacob would be even more upset. That last thing he wanted was a rift between him and his brother.
Leon sighed, setting aside his better judgment.
"Wait."
Corvo stopped.
"How do we get to Moonrise Canyon?"
Corvo turned around, wearing a smug grin that Leon wanted so-badly to bite off. The Snivy pulled out a scroll from his pack and unrolled it. It was a map of the province: Chronovania.
"Here, just north-northwest of town. Follow this path," he traced a finger from Wolfhaven. "After about three hours you'll find the canyon at the thunderstruck willow tree. Trust me, you'll know it when ya see it. Once you get my merchandise back from this punk, meet me back here. I'll be waiting 'til midnight. Any later and I'll assume you're not comin' back."
"Okay!" Jacob nodded, and he checked his watch. "It's three-thirty, we can make good time if we head out now!" He started to walk away.
But Leon stayed rooted on the spot, staring at the map and thinking hard. How many roadblocks were there going to be for him and Jacob? He wished things could've been easier, but there was no point in complaint without action.
"Leon?" Jacob called out to him.
He didn't answer. He just stared at the map for a few more seconds, then glanced up at Corvo, who was looking at him with that grin of cool confidence, flipping that silver coin between his fingers.
"Problem?" Corvo asked.
"Maybe," Leon answered, glaring at him. "You'd better keep your word on this, Corvo. If you don't, then your 'merchandise' will be the least of your worries."
Corvo raised an eye at him. "Is that a threat, sawjaw?"
"No." Leon exhaled, blowing out a cold mist as he half-powered an Ice Fang. "It's a promise. We'll see you later… Corvo." With those last words, he turned around and walked away with Jacob.
Before they left the alley, Jacob took a quick glance back at Corvo.
He was leaning against the wall, looking at his coin like a mirror.