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Chapter Three: Kingsend

Moonlight, broken in ire,
Sunlight, robbed of fire.
Oceans, quelled of waves,
Land, poisoned by graves.
Peace to Verus at last,
Gods slain in angel’s wrath.
—Scribe Martor Serperior,
Hymn of the Saved from The Rains of Erebus

Sounds of jovial music played on strings filled the air of the provincial capital town of Kingsend. Seated on a vital highway, the bustling town built from an amalgamation of ancient metal ruins and stonework thrived on the streams of traveling Pokémon and merchants that passed through its gates. A large drawbridge made from tired steel slowly creaked back down over the wide, dry gulch that may have held a river at one point. Leo found that the drawbridge, despite its ancient and rusting appearance, held firm as he and the crowd of waiting Pokémon crossed once it was locked in place.

Leo had taken the time waiting on the opposite shore to get a decent look at the crowd of murmuring creatures that amassed beside him, Kelly, and Jay. While the dim light of the twilight was not helpful in identifying the crowd, he was able to recognize several species. An Ivysaur, using his vines to pull a small cart piled high with produce, was in a heated argument with a tall, yellow-skinned creature he gathered to be a Hypno. His memories assisted him slightly with these species, but they were slow to come. He was pushed along by Jay and forced to stop eavesdropping on the conversation. Soft light flickered from circular windows coming from simple earthen homes built into the sides of the wide, dry riverbank. The drawbridge creaked ominously with the crowd shuffling across it.

With the setting of the sun came the flurry of last-minute haggling and barters from the colorful stalls that lined both sides of the cobbled streets. Torches burned softly along the street, assisted by a few oddly-glowing crystals and fighting against the encroaching night. The blend of spirited music Leo had picked up appeared to originate from the main avenue that cut through the heart of Kingsend.

“Kelly?” Leo inquired while walking close to the Jolteon. He was not yet about to trust the streets of the city he barely knew, filled with creatures he knew very little about. The Riolu and Jolteon seemed trustworthy enough, if only because they saved him. “Why is this place called Kingsend?” Leo asked, genuinely wondering the origin of the strange name as he held his burning tail close.

She turned her gaze away from the road as their trio navigated to the outer fringe of the avenue, away from the thick crowds and nearest the brightly lit inns, homes, and shops. “Oh, it’s stems a long way back. Back when the Silver Kingdom was formed, the new King was under siege here and sent for his supporters across the lands to break it. Long story short, it worked and that’s how the town got its name. King-send,” she explained succinctly with a small smile. “It’s a nice town. Fairly central to most of Verus. Many roads pass through here from the capital in the west to the Erebus Range in the east.”

Jay snorted somewhat. “That’s the Crown-approved version. The other version has the name coming from the fact that same king lost his head in this very square when the battle turned south. King’s end.” The Riolu finished his explanation with a finger drawn across his throat with a mock choking sound. Kelly, not amused, merely shook her head and nudged both Jay and Leo ahead.

That explained the name and why there were so many varieties of Pokémon about, though there was something else that was nagging him. As lively as Kingsend seemed, there was a sense of ruin about. The paver stones beneath his feet were worn and cracked. The metal facades and braziers were rusting in the orange torchlight. The denizens did not all seem too pleasant either. Leo was sure if he took a wrong turn down an alley it would be a swift end to his journey in Verus with a dagger or other unpleasant instrument lodged between his ribs.

“Where are we heading now...?” Leo inquired of his guides. While the town certainly lacked the erratic and malicious nature of a mystery dungeon, he did not necessarily feel any safer at night in Kingsend. Leo had his doubts that he could take on any of the strangers around him in a fair fight even with his sturdy reptilian body.

“There’s an inn on the northern end of town where we’re going to meet your friend at. The Tarnished Crown. He promised us the remaining cost of rescuing you and dinner.” Jay answered that time, the Riolu’s head still covered with his hood. “I’ll be pleasantly surprised if he follows through on dinner though. Starving...” he grumbled and dejectedly sighed as he again rummaged through his empty supply bag.

“The Tarnished Crown? ... Suppose if it offers dinner and a place to rest, it can’t that bad,” Leo remarked before he stumbled somewhat over a loose paving stone. Foot smarting in pain, he gritted his teeth and trudged on. He was not in the mood for walking any longer; he had done more than his fair share of it since he arrived in this world. What I wouldn’t give for a bed...

“Can’t say it’s the best Kingsend has to offer, but it beats sleeping in an alley or in some abandoned barn on the outskirts,” Kelly replied with a good-natured grin up at Leo, as if she knew this by experience. “It’s fairly popular with travelers who don’t intend on staying long and those who end up staying months. Very little in-between there.” A gentle laugh came from the Jolteon at that, to which Leo nodded politely, though he did not know anything about the Inn.

He did not know where he fell on that spectrum. Would he be on the road again soon? Or would he stay a while in this interesting —and seedy— town? He was not sure. Kingsend was the most civilization he had yet seen in this world that was not in ruins, despite being built in and around the decaying husks of a time long gone by. Compared to the countryside and roads that seemingly had horrific mystery dungeons lurking around every bend and valley, he was more in the mind to stay here a while. Maybe in the daytime it isn’t so ... grungy... the Charmeleon hoped.

The streets, once flooded with crowds, seemed to grow quieter the further they went from the markets. Their small group weaved through the side streets, passing by a tall, metal structure —compared to its surroundings— that jutted up from the streets. Lantern light flickered from openings in the facade, signalling that this ruin from another time was still in use by Kingsend’s denizens. A crimson banner emblazoned with a gray, spiked crown fluttered limply atop a rusting metal pole Leo gathered might have been a lightning rod or antenna of sorts.

“That’s the Crown’s tower. All royal business goes through those guys: retrieving bounties, turning in exploration maps, tax, the provincial governor’s office, and some other such things. It’s a bureaucratic labyrinth to be quite honest...” Kelly explained upon seeing Leo’s lingering gaze on the structure. “It’s why Jay and I prefer to do civil jobs, like yours. Less hassle, but less reward too. The Crown will pay out handsomely for accurate maps of mystery dungeons— they’re always wanting to compile how dungeons change.”

This made Leo pause and purse his lips, stealing one final glance up at the royal seat of power. “But... Noah told me that the err... dungeons, change frequently. Is that right? How can anyone make maps that wouldn’t immediately be useless?” He countered, curious as to who was correct. She let out a short laugh.

“He’s correct. Dungeons do change very often, as I’m sure you saw. But, some of the royal cartographers have a system for it. I don’t understand it fully, but not all dungeons share the same stability. There’s levels to them. ‘Mysteriosity’ is the term the mappers use. Strange term, I know. Tranquility Weald is a nasty one, being totally unstable. But a good majority of dungeons experience only minor changes, like a bend in a path or a few trees out of place, making it easy to produce maps of them,” Kelly again explained while Jay let out another snort from beneath his hood.

“That’s also why we’re expecting a decent payout from your friend. Weald’s orders of magnitude more dangerous than the benign dungeons lurking about. There’s something sinister at its core...” The Riolu added while he walked by their side. “We took a chance to go looking for you. We got lucky that you were near the border, or else it could have decided to drag us inside. Evil stuff in there: ancient and strange things from when we still had gods about.”

The Chameleon nodded to both of his rescuers, though Jay’s comment he was not sure how to reply to. He had not quite known just how much of a risk they had taken to free him from the Weald’s gray limbo.

“T-Thank you. I really do wish I could give you both something... I owe you both. Big time,” Leo answered meekly, feeling entirely out of his depth. How was he supposed to complete his purpose here in Verus if he could not navigate these seemingly-ubiquitous labyrinths? A blue paw clapped his shoulder twice, jarring the Charmeleon who had been lost in his thoughts.

“Noah’s taking care of that. You just focus on not getting stuck in one again,” Jay laughed and lifted his head, searching around for a short moment before pointing to a building that, unlike many of the other dingy, rusting structures in Kingsend, still appeared to have a bit of dignity about it. The metal facade, while not gleaming, was clean of rust and its long, wooden plaque that hung above its wide doorway looked freshly painted with the words ‘The Tarnished Crown’ and a copy of the same silvery crown from the royal banner on either side of the name.

The glass lattice windows invitingly beckoned the three weary travelers out of the cool night and into the warm glow of the hearth within. Like other taverns, lively tunes played on flutes and stringed instruments made Leo’s feet move right up to the door without him fully realizing it. His hungry stomach painfully cramped, again reminding Leo just how long he had gone without proper food. The apple from Noah had long since left him feeling hungry again. Jay pushed the door open and held it for his four-legged partner and Leo.

While he had not been particularly cold on the streets, the wave of heated air made the Charmeleon stand up on his clawed toes with a pleased, unconscious hiss while his tail flame brightened considerably. The warmth resonated with him more than he could express in words; as if he was hugged by an old friend.

An excited cry from nearby and a hearty slap on his scales brought an end to his brief experience.

“LEO! Haha! You made it, my friend!” Noah’s boisterous voice made him wince from the noise. He turned, now seeing the Dewott again after what felt like hours, but had been days. Leo gave him a weak smile and tried to flash a ‘thumbs-up’ with his claws, though it was complicated with his lack of proper thumb. He eventually gave up the attempt with a tired sigh; another adjustment that he needed to make in this body.

“Hey, Noah... I made it, yeah. T-Thanks to Kelly and Jay here.” Leo motioned to behind him where the two Pokémon were taking up seats along a hewn, wooden table in the middle of the clamoring inn. “Has it really been days...? I was only an hour behind you... Two at most...” He asks feebly, still not quite sure how that worked. His stomach again growled. “And do they have food here...? I’m famished.”

“Not to worry, my friend! Food shall be had and debts settled. Come on, let’s go join your hired saviors, shall we?” Noah asked, though by the way he put his arm around Leo’s back and goaded him along, it was clearly not meant to be answered in the negative. Leo found himself perched on a rough, wide stool made to accommodate beings of many shapes and sizes. Across from him was the Riolu and Jolteon he had become acquainted with while Noah sat to his side, leaning onto the table on folded arms. The Dewott raised a paw to his mouth and whistled shrilly to get the attention of the overworked waiter, a buzzing, dragon-esque creature that Leo vaguely recalled as a Vibrava.

Food was ordered faster than Leo could pick up what was being ordered, with Kelly, Jay, and Noah all calling out their desired meals while he simply blinked in confusion. “E-Err... I’ll have what he's having...” The green, insectoid eyes of the Vibrava simply gave him a dull blink before its diamond-shaped wings buzzed and it was off elsewhere. The Charmeleon leaned into Noah and whispered, “... What did I order?”

A paw tapped hard on the table, interrupting Noah’s coming response.

“Sorry to interrupt, but now that the meals are ordered, shall we get to business?” Jay asked, folding back his brown hood. Leo could not see it properly before under his cloak, but in the warm, orange light of the tavern he saw that the Riolu had a crimson band of sorts bound over his eyes, wrapping entirely around his head. It certainly was not a decorative addition, though there was a golden design on the cloth that Leo did not recognize. “... You can stop staring any time you’d like, Leo. I’m not as blind as I seem.”

The Charmeleon immediately averted his gaze and felt a different sort of heat build in his cheeks. He had not expected that Jay was visually impaired. The Riolu was able to perceive just fine for Leo not to have noticed so far.

“Yes, you do need to settle payment. The other half is owed for Leo’s safe return from Tranquility Weald, as per our agreement,” Kelly began, her tone professional. “We do appreciate the offer of dinner too. Like your friend, we too are quite famished.”

Crudely-shaped metal plates piled high with what looked to be a fruit-based dish slid down the wooden slats and settled in front of each of the four seated Pokémon. The Vibrava buzzed away quickly and talk of debts was shelved as they tucked into their meals. Leo prodded the amalgamation of fruits and took a slow bite with his claws. It was incredibly sweet, but not to the point of disgust. In fact, it was quite good and, he presumed, somewhat healthy. Almost without realizing it, he had cleaned off over half his plate and certainly showed no signs of ceasing.

“Anyways, back to business...” Kelly began after brushing her face against a cloth to wipe it clean of fruit remnants. “The remainder of the reward is owed. Two hundred Silver Crowns.” Leo glanced to his side while quietly munching on his meal. Noah squirmed slightly in his seat and pushed his plate out of the way. The Dewott leaned up against the table and Leo suddenly knew that Noah had not a coin to pay them with; that was the reaction of a creature attempting to strike a bargain.

“... Kelly... Jay... Listen...” He began to an immediate chorus of groans from the rescuers. “I don’t have the money, that much is painfully true. Spent the last Crowns I had on this dinner, actually, which you enjoyed, yes? So maybe that’s like, one hundred and seventy-five Crowns I owe now?” Leo could almost see Noah’s words writhing in the air to find a deal. Jay thumped a blue paw on the table.

“Dinner was promised alongside the reward, Noah. There’s witnesses that heard you say that,” the Riolu growled darkly, his covered gaze staring daggers at Noah, who again shifted uncomfortably in his seat as another avenue of negotiations closed.

“Noah... Are you sure you don’t have the money? ... You really don’t want to get the authorities involved, do you?” Kelly inquired calmly, though Leo could see the hidden fire in her eyes. By the tense flicking of her ears, he knew the Jolteon was fuming just beneath the surface. “We don’t like being cheated out of our hard work. We aren’t the novice team you might think we are. Or, at least, we won't be treated as a novice team.”

Leo simply gulped down the last of his meal and meekly pressed himself into the back of the chair, wanting to disappear into the wood. He had assumed Noah would hold true to his word. Now a creeping shame crawled up his neck and to his cheeks, making him slump down in his seat to avoid being caught in the cross-fire.

The blue otter took a deep breath and held up his paws, as if requesting peace. “Alright, alright, let’s not get hasty! We can keep this a civil matter between civil ‘mon, can we not?” Noah started, almost being interrupted by an indignant ‘humph’ from Jay. “I’m a salvager by trade, so I come across all sorts of neat stuff, surely you’d be interested in—”

“You mean a scavenger... And you can’t have any rusted dungeon junk worth two hundred Silver Crowns,” Jay interjected sharply, causing Noah to backpedal his attempt to diffuse the situation slightly. Though, there was a certain gleam in the Dewott’s eyes at that.

“Ah... But beyond my interesting and legal trinkets, the most valuable thing I come across is information!” Noah boasted with a wide grin. “Info your team will find most interesting, I’m sure.” If he was waiting for a positive reaction from Jay or Kelly, there was none forthcoming. The Dewott waited another moment before he leaned forward and sighed.

“Alright. I’ll cut to the chase. I’ve come across reliable stories relating to High Peak Spring. Think of me a scoundrel and ruin-robber all you want, but I check rumors and stories carefully before I go off anywhere. I believe the stories that there’s a way to go deeper, beyond the recorded depths...” Noah explained with a quiet excitement behind every word from his mouth. Jay remained sullen, with his arms folded across his chest. And Kelly, from what Leo could tell, was at least incredulous instead of outright disappointed.

“Listen... Noah. High Peak Spring has been thoroughly documented since it appeared what, two centuries ago when the spring dried up. It’s a relatively stable dungeon. Decent maps exist of it, and there’s hardly much to speak of inside, save the odd wild ‘mon that nest in it seasonally...” Kelly replied, being as gentle and calm as she could with the overly-optimistic Dewott.

“The bottom line is that there’s nothing new to be found there. Nothing worth the Crowns you owe, nor to cover a day of exploring for us,” Jay added right on the heel of Kelly’s diplomatic reply. “You’re going to have to do a bit more than that.”

Surprisingly, the smile did not leave Noah’s face at that. He simply raised a paw, asking the two rescuers to wait while he searched his own bag with his other hand. A small, rolled up square of paper was pulled out and spread on the table with both of Noah’s paws. From his angle, he saw several long and straight paths, connecting a series of square boxes of varying sizes. Scrawled writing in the space around the boxes listed labels such as “passage down— behind false wall”, “wild nest—Zubat”, and “pitfall—AVOID.” There boxes seemed to be grouped into a distinct section, which Leo supposed was a map after some thought, and at the end region was a noticeably-messier, but important label, judging by its frantic letters and furious underlining: “Door!”

“Kelly, talk to me. What’s on it?” Jay whispered to his partner, apparently unable to see the scribbled map. “Is it anything new?”

“Hmm... While crude, they appear to mark out a floor for High Peak Spring... But beyond the five recorded by the cartographers...” She trailed off and rose her head to stare at the smirking Dewott. “Explain. Please.” Leo did not think it possible, but Noah’s grin got even wider.

“Oh, so you are interested! Thought this was beyond you both!” Noah laughed jovially for a long moment, even hooking an arm around Leo to draw him in, much to his discomfort. “Heh, you think I’d approach you with this offer without checking it out first? Oh no. That’s my map right there. It’s all there. One entirely-undocumented floor and more waiting behind that hidden passage,” The Dewott quickly folded up the map again, causing both intrigued explorers to bark in protest. “Provided you allow us to join you!”

Leo gave Noah an incredulous look. “Us?!” he exclaimed, pulling the Dewott’s arm off of him.

A blue paw again swiftly landed on the table with a thump that rattled the empty pewter plates. “No! Oh no! No! No! We are not taking either of you into a dungeon! Not when we just got stiffed rescuing him! No!” Jay snarled, pointing accusingly at Leo from across the table.

“H-Hey! I don’t like this idea any more than you do!” Leo yelped, trying in vain to distance himself from the clearly-insane otter. “Do I have any say in this?!”

“Listen! Both of you! I owe you both for the rescue...” Noah replied first to Jay and Kelly before be whirled on Leo. “And you! You owe me, otherwise you’d still be tossed around like a ragdoll by the Weald!” That sentence was emphasized with a sharp prod to the middle of Leo’s chest by the Dewott’s clawed finger. “We’re both going, because I need somebody to back me in case something goes wrong.” Noah’s stern gaze made Leo shrink back, thoroughly cowed.

The former human sunk into his chair, idly stroking his artifact key while the deliberations continued over his head. Jay, despite his stubborn nature, was beginning to waver. Leo could tell he wanted the score from whatever this crude map promised. Kelly too was not immune to the allure of being the first to officially catalog a new part of this mystery dungeon. Their protests about Leo’s own inexperience were rebutted by Noah, who threw back their own claims that high Peak Springs was known to be vastly more stable than Tranquility Weald, and if the Charmeleon could survive that, he would survive this one.

Leo was not sure he agreed with that assessment, but he was remotely pleased to hear that Noah had such confidence in him, either that or he truly was insane to demand the recently-transformed human tag along. Unsure of what to make of the situation, the Charmeleon sipped water from the crude tankard he had been given along his meal. The rest of the Tarnished Crown’s customers, surprisingly, did not seem interested in the loud negotiations going on at his table. He was thankful for that, as the last thing he needed was to get a poor reputation not one hour after arriving in Kingsend.

The Charmeleon brushed off his cream scales where Noah had prodded him and looked out the latticed window at the street. It was dim outside, but he could still see the road beyond. Aside from various Pokémon stomping home from the day’s work, a line of at least ten such creatures all waited for their turn at what appeared to be a stone well in the middle of the street. Buckets and washbasins of a motley of sizes all waited to be filled by the slow team of Infernape guards. It was strange, seeing the well so closely guarded, but after a moment it made sense. Leo had seen the empty gulch as he crossed into Kingsend; the river must have gone dry some time ago.

Leo suddenly appreciated the half-full water tankard he had been given and cupped it possessively with both hands. To his right, it sounded as if the negotiations were at last winding down. The Charmeleon hesitantly turned to face the trio again. The Dewott was in the middle of shaking his paws with a reluctant Jay.

“... We’re in agreement then. Leo and I will accompany Team Salient to High Peak Spring to help map out the lower reaches. The reward for the completed map and loot will be split seventy-thirty in Salient’s favor after the two-hundred Crowns are paid as promised,” Noah concluded with a wide grin, leading both the Jolteon and Riolu to nod in agreement. Leo could not recall a more tense or forced smile than the one from Jay right then. While Noah might have been just fine with this, no one else seemed as confident.

“... You’ll meet us at the old well on the north end of town tomorrow at sunrise. No later. And you will both have to have your own supplies. Jay and I can’t cover you when our own supplies are stretched as they are,” Kelly said with a deep sigh once Noah had finished. “... And please, be timely. We want to get on the move before the roads get too busy.”

“Perfect! We’ll be there, don’t you worry!” Noah clapped his paws and then Leo’s back suddenly. “I’ve got us a room with two hammocks. Upstairs and second door on the right. You’ll have to watch your tail; can’t be torching this place. We’ll need to get some shuteye before heading out.” With that, the Dewott slid off the worn bench and gave a casual salute to the three remaining Pokémon. “Good night, all.”

Leo did not acknowledge Noah and merely swirled the water around his cup until he had walked off with a cheerful whistle. Once Noah was safely out of earshot, the Charmeleon slumped forward until his head hit the table with a thud.

“Gods... What did I do to get caught up in this...?” Leo groaned mostly to himself.

“Wrong place, wrong time I suppose...” Kelly began, her tone softer and warmer now that she was not dealing with the Dewott. “If it’s any consolation... We don’t blame you for any of this. You’re as much an unwilling participant in Noah’s scheme as we are, if not more of one... As far as we know at least.” That provided Leo a small comfort, though it did not rectify the situation any.

“Thanks...” Leo murmured, head still pressed onto the table in abject defeat.

“Get some rest. I don’t know what’s up with you, but while High Spring Peak isn’t a hard dungeon, it’s a hike for sure. You’ll want to be rested,” Jay recommended gruffly before Leo heard him pull away from the table, chair scraping on the stone floor. Kelly followed suit with jumping down from her stool. Leo lifted his head curiously.

“Will you both be staying here...?” he inquired quietly as his claws idly scratch at the worn wooden planks on the table.

Jay turned back and gave a short laugh. “We’d rather sleep in a barn, again, than sleep in the same building as that conniving idiot,” he replied with no small amount of venom. The Riolu then shook his head. “Good luck.”

Leo groaned and gave them both a weak nod before they departed the inn to an unknown destination for the night. The patrons at the tables around him were starting to bid their compatriots a good night and vacate as well. The Vibrava buzzed by on nearly-silent wings to collect his empty tankard and plate while he attempted to make sense of things.

The Charmeleon glanced over at the wooden stairs at the back of the dining hall that Noah had gone up. While he was tired, Leo did not yet feel like joining the Dewott in sleep. With a grunt and a stretch of his sore arms, the crimson Pokémon got up from his seat and made his way towards the front door of the inn without a word spoken to anyone. Going out into the town at night without a guide was probably foolish, but his curiosity needed to be sated.

A cool wind greeted him as he pushed open the door and entered the torch and crystal-lit streets. With the last light of the sun starting to fade from the horizon and the streets and the roads far less crowded than they had been earlier, Kingsend now appeared more peaceful. Leo could fully take in the sights at his leisure now that he was not being ushered by Kelly and Jay.

There were signs of life in between the stone and metal structures: twisting trees with roots that forced apart the cobblestone and drooping branches that hung into the street, small plots of soil where gardens full of near-sere plants clearly suffering from insufficient rain. The entire town bore the hallmarks of a city that was in drought; small clouds of disturbed dust rose up from the road with every step he made. While the milling Pokémon had mostly vanished, the line at the well remained steady, with more citizens coming up clutching empty metal bowls and pitchers at the same rate the guards were filling them.

Leo took a seat on a wooden cargo crate just outside a closed carpentry shop likely run by an Armaldo if the colorful hanging sign was anything to go by. From his perch, he observed the routine process at the well and got the idea after a few moments. A Pokémon would step forward towards the stone well, typically clutching a pitcher or pot, which they turned over to one of the armor-clad group. There would be some haggling, with the soldiers asking for names and checking it off against a lengthy list one of the squad, a tall, cat-like creature with red fur, possessed, likely a census roll for the town.

Inevitably, there were more than a few whose names did not show up and the haggling increased. Sometimes the process was barely noticeable, with a practiced and discrete passing of coins to the roll-carrying Incineroar, who deftly pocketed the bribe and pretended to find the ‘missing’ name on the next page. Other times, though, if there was not money to be exchanged, the haggling turned to begging and then to pleading to get additional water rations. Leo winced as he saw more than one citizen be plucked up by the burly Infernape and bodily tossed aside.

Once the matter of being on the roll or greasing paws was established, then the guards proceeded to man the heavy pump to extract sputtering pulls of water up from some unseen reservoir. After a few turns of the pump, the scene finished off with the pot or pitcher being returned to its owner, letting the cycle begin again. It was quite interesting, Leo found, to watch it. The way the crew of guards interacted with the citizens was unpredictable. He watched them shift from shifty, money-grubbing, and surely to laughing and readily helping depending on who was next in line.

“Must not be from around here... Am I right, Charmeleon?”

Leo very nearly jumped out of his scales at the sudden deep voice to his immediate left. Clutching the crate to keep himself from slipping off, the Charmeleon looked up to see a tall, lupine creature outlined in the orange light coming from the crystal outside the Tarnished Crown. Leo did not say a word as the stranger slouched back on the metal column, allowing the light to flash across his features.

The Pokémon was covered in fur that ranged from blood-red to bone-white. A large mane of white, pointed tufts added quite a bit to their height and intimidation factor. The stranger looked down at Leo with a pair of pink-red eyes that appeared to glow in the dimming light. The Lycanroc chuckled dryly and clapped a large, heavy paw on Leo’s shoulder, which nearly made the lizard crumple from the latent force behind the friendly gesture.

“You’re definitely new. Can smell it plainly. You’ve a scent from elsewhere,” the stranger noted matter-of-factly as he pulled his paw back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Strange rituals Kingsend has to put up with during the drought seasons... Seem to be getting longer and longer each year.” The Lycanroc’s gaze again turned to Leo, who gulped and shrunk back slightly, still unsure how to respond.

“... Forgive me. Haven’t introduced myself. Name’s Dakarai. Happy to meet a new face in Kingsend, even if you’ve come during trying times...” the wolf said with a small nod towards the queue at the well pump.

“...Err... Nice to meet you, Dakarai... Name’s Leo,” Leo finally managed to sputter out once he realized the Lycanroc likely meant him no harm. “Y-Yes. I just got here from... I just got here,” he quickly corrects after realizing he did not have a place to be from except a terrible dungeon. “Is the drought here that serious?”

Dakarai brushed a tuft of hanging white fur out of his eyes and nodded. “Yessir. River dried up ages ago, but only in the last few years has the rainy season not dumped enough here to keep the wells full. It isn’t at a crisis yet, though. King in Silver City ordered rationing after the first year and it’s worked pretty well so far,” the Lycanroc commented as the line continued to move. By now, a group of Nuzleaf were on the spot to get their waterskins refilled.

“I see... That’s good then; that they’re making it last...” Leo trailed off before his gaze turned from the well to his companion. The wolf was wearing a get-up not unlike the duo from Team Salient were sporting. A belt holding pouches and a small coin pouch sat on his waist alongside a sheath for a small blade. Around his neck was a green bandanna that was adorned with a small metal badge with a design Leo could not make out in the dim light. “You’re an explorer?” He guessed while hoping he used the right term. Kelly had briefly explained earlier there different categories of Pokémon that delved into dungeons, but he did not remember them well.
Dakarai chuckled. “Of sorts, yeah. Guess you could call me more a scout or ranger though. I go into dungeons, but I am not much on making those detailed maps the explorers typically make. Too tedious for me and my big paws.” He made a point of clenching and unclenching one of his large mitts to accentuate that statement. “I do odd jobs for the Crown inside dungeons,” he elaborated nonchalantly. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh! U-Uh... I was curious is all...” Leo gulped and did his best to keep his nerves down. He suddenly had a brainwave hit him and looked back up at the inquisitive red eyes of the Lycanroc. “I’m actually going out into one tomorrow... First job. High Mountain Spring, I think? You know it...? Is it safe? ... Got any advice?” Leo inquired, leaving out that he had survived a dungeon before then.

“Ah. High Peak Spring. Yeah, I know it. Not much there by way of excitement. You’ll be just fine,” he laughed. “Enjoy the caverns and the water-weathered rocks. They’re fairly beautiful, all smoothed out like that. See where all Kingsend’s water once flowed.” The wolf then pointed at the horizon. In the growing black, it was hard to see, but there was a tall form silhouetted against the stars. “There she is, sitting pretty right over there. Nice short hike from here. Really pleasant this time of year,” Dakarai continued to elaborate. “Might find some Zubats nesting this season, but if you don’t mess with them, they won’t bat a wing at you.” He then chuckled at his apparent play on words.

“I’ll be staying around here for a few days dealing with the Crown. If you’ll be around, I’d like to hear how your first outing goes at High Peak. Been a while since I was a rookie like you, Leo,” Dakarai again clapped Leo’s shoulder, but with less force that time. “I’ll be around this plaza at sunset tomorrow. Come find me and I’ll buy you and your team a meal for an exciting tale, if you’ll indulge me.”

Leo blinked at the offer and slowly willed his head to nod.

“S-Sure! I just hope our story is exciting enough to warrant a meal,” he accepted on behalf of his ‘team’, two of which were not affiliated with him and the other likely would be skeptical at best. But, it was done and the Lycanroc flashed a toothy grin Leo’s way.

“It’ll be a fine tale, I’m sure. Focus on the job and getting it done right.” The red and white Pokémon straightened up and dipped his head towards the Charmeleon. “Until tomorrow, my fiery friend.” And as quickly as he had appeared, the Midnight Lycanroc melted back into the darkening streets leaving Leo alone once more with the now-dwindling line at the well.

A loud yawn escaped his maw as he stared up at the stars and the outline of High Peak Spring to the north. Tomorrow would bring a whole new challenge there and so soon after he barely escaped Tranquility Weald. A shiver of apprehension went through him.

“Is this right? ... Is following along on this job my purpose here? Gods, I don’t know...” Leo muttered to the dim stars above. Around him, the tired land of Verus gave him no cosmic answer. No mysterious guiding voice this time to provide cryptic answers. With a dejected sigh Leo turned back towards the Tarnished Crown. The Charmeleon somehow found himself in his assigned room and hammock a short while later, having climbed up the creaking stairs in a fugue state. He had the foresight to make sure his flaming tail was safely over the edge of the hanging hammock before he closed his eyes.

Sleep came quickly to his exhausted form, dragging him under without much time to be annoyed by Noah’s light snoring a few feet away. Flashes of indeterminate thoughts flitted in and out of his subconscious as the witching hours ticked by; strange and blurry visions that always ended with a pair of watching golden eyes staring at him from the horrors just beyond the dream’s edge.

End Chapter Three

Description
Chapter Three: Kingsend

Moonlight, broken in ire,
Sunlight, robbed of fire.
Oceans, quelled of waves,
Land, poisoned by graves.
Peace to Verus at last,
Gods slain in angel’s wrath.
—Scribe Martor Serperior,
Hymn of the Saved from The Rains of Erebus

Sounds of jovial music played on strings filled the air of the provincial capital town of Kingsend. Seated on a vital highway, the bustling town built from an amalgamation of ancient metal ruins and stonework thrived on the streams of traveling Pokémon and merchants that passed through its gates. A large drawbridge made from tired steel slowly creaked back down over the wide, dry gulch that may have held a river at one point. Leo found that the drawbridge, despite its ancient and rusting appearance, held firm as he and the crowd of waiting Pokémon crossed once it was locked in place.

Leo had taken the time waiting on the opposite shore to get a decent look at the crowd of murmuring creatures that amassed beside him, Kelly, and Jay. While the dim light of the twilight was not helpful in identifying the crowd, he was able to recognize several species. An Ivysaur, using his vines to pull a small cart piled high with produce, was in a heated argument with a tall, yellow-skinned creature he gathered to be a Hypno. His memories assisted him slightly with these species, but they were slow to come. He was pushed along by Jay and forced to stop eavesdropping on the conversation. Soft light flickered from circular windows coming from simple earthen homes built into the sides of the wide, dry riverbank. The drawbridge creaked ominously with the crowd shuffling across it.

With the setting of the sun came the flurry of last-minute haggling and barters from the colorful stalls that lined both sides of the cobbled streets. Torches burned softly along the street, assisted by a few oddly-glowing crystals and fighting against the encroaching night. The blend of spirited music Leo had picked up appeared to originate from the main avenue that cut through the heart of Kingsend.

“Kelly?” Leo inquired while walking close to the Jolteon. He was not yet about to trust the streets of the city he barely knew, filled with creatures he knew very little about. The Riolu and Jolteon seemed trustworthy enough, if only because they saved him. “Why is this place called Kingsend?” Leo asked, genuinely wondering the origin of the strange name as he held his burning tail close.

She turned her gaze away from the road as their trio navigated to the outer fringe of the avenue, away from the thick crowds and nearest the brightly lit inns, homes, and shops. “Oh, it’s stems a long way back. Back when the Silver Kingdom was formed, the new King was under siege here and sent for his supporters across the lands to break it. Long story short, it worked and that’s how the town got its name. King-send,” she explained succinctly with a small smile. “It’s a nice town. Fairly central to most of Verus. Many roads pass through here from the capital in the west to the Erebus Range in the east.”

Jay snorted somewhat. “That’s the Crown-approved version. The other version has the name coming from the fact that same king lost his head in this very square when the battle turned south. King’s end.” The Riolu finished his explanation with a finger drawn across his throat with a mock choking sound. Kelly, not amused, merely shook her head and nudged both Jay and Leo ahead.

That explained the name and why there were so many varieties of Pokémon about, though there was something else that was nagging him. As lively as Kingsend seemed, there was a sense of ruin about. The paver stones beneath his feet were worn and cracked. The metal facades and braziers were rusting in the orange torchlight. The denizens did not all seem too pleasant either. Leo was sure if he took a wrong turn down an alley it would be a swift end to his journey in Verus with a dagger or other unpleasant instrument lodged between his ribs.

“Where are we heading now...?” Leo inquired of his guides. While the town certainly lacked the erratic and malicious nature of a mystery dungeon, he did not necessarily feel any safer at night in Kingsend. Leo had his doubts that he could take on any of the strangers around him in a fair fight even with his sturdy reptilian body.

“There’s an inn on the northern end of town where we’re going to meet your friend at. The Tarnished Crown. He promised us the remaining cost of rescuing you and dinner.” Jay answered that time, the Riolu’s head still covered with his hood. “I’ll be pleasantly surprised if he follows through on dinner though. Starving...” he grumbled and dejectedly sighed as he again rummaged through his empty supply bag.

“The Tarnished Crown? ... Suppose if it offers dinner and a place to rest, it can’t that bad,” Leo remarked before he stumbled somewhat over a loose paving stone. Foot smarting in pain, he gritted his teeth and trudged on. He was not in the mood for walking any longer; he had done more than his fair share of it since he arrived in this world. What I wouldn’t give for a bed...

“Can’t say it’s the best Kingsend has to offer, but it beats sleeping in an alley or in some abandoned barn on the outskirts,” Kelly replied with a good-natured grin up at Leo, as if she knew this by experience. “It’s fairly popular with travelers who don’t intend on staying long and those who end up staying months. Very little in-between there.” A gentle laugh came from the Jolteon at that, to which Leo nodded politely, though he did not know anything about the Inn.

He did not know where he fell on that spectrum. Would he be on the road again soon? Or would he stay a while in this interesting —and seedy— town? He was not sure. Kingsend was the most civilization he had yet seen in this world that was not in ruins, despite being built in and around the decaying husks of a time long gone by. Compared to the countryside and roads that seemingly had horrific mystery dungeons lurking around every bend and valley, he was more in the mind to stay here a while. Maybe in the daytime it isn’t so ... grungy... the Charmeleon hoped.

The streets, once flooded with crowds, seemed to grow quieter the further they went from the markets. Their small group weaved through the side streets, passing by a tall, metal structure —compared to its surroundings— that jutted up from the streets. Lantern light flickered from openings in the facade, signalling that this ruin from another time was still in use by Kingsend’s denizens. A crimson banner emblazoned with a gray, spiked crown fluttered limply atop a rusting metal pole Leo gathered might have been a lightning rod or antenna of sorts.

“That’s the Crown’s tower. All royal business goes through those guys: retrieving bounties, turning in exploration maps, tax, the provincial governor’s office, and some other such things. It’s a bureaucratic labyrinth to be quite honest...” Kelly explained upon seeing Leo’s lingering gaze on the structure. “It’s why Jay and I prefer to do civil jobs, like yours. Less hassle, but less reward too. The Crown will pay out handsomely for accurate maps of mystery dungeons— they’re always wanting to compile how dungeons change.”

This made Leo pause and purse his lips, stealing one final glance up at the royal seat of power. “But... Noah told me that the err... dungeons, change frequently. Is that right? How can anyone make maps that wouldn’t immediately be useless?” He countered, curious as to who was correct. She let out a short laugh.

“He’s correct. Dungeons do change very often, as I’m sure you saw. But, some of the royal cartographers have a system for it. I don’t understand it fully, but not all dungeons share the same stability. There’s levels to them. ‘Mysteriosity’ is the term the mappers use. Strange term, I know. Tranquility Weald is a nasty one, being totally unstable. But a good majority of dungeons experience only minor changes, like a bend in a path or a few trees out of place, making it easy to produce maps of them,” Kelly again explained while Jay let out another snort from beneath his hood.

“That’s also why we’re expecting a decent payout from your friend. Weald’s orders of magnitude more dangerous than the benign dungeons lurking about. There’s something sinister at its core...” The Riolu added while he walked by their side. “We took a chance to go looking for you. We got lucky that you were near the border, or else it could have decided to drag us inside. Evil stuff in there: ancient and strange things from when we still had gods about.”

The Chameleon nodded to both of his rescuers, though Jay’s comment he was not sure how to reply to. He had not quite known just how much of a risk they had taken to free him from the Weald’s gray limbo.

“T-Thank you. I really do wish I could give you both something... I owe you both. Big time,” Leo answered meekly, feeling entirely out of his depth. How was he supposed to complete his purpose here in Verus if he could not navigate these seemingly-ubiquitous labyrinths? A blue paw clapped his shoulder twice, jarring the Charmeleon who had been lost in his thoughts.

“Noah’s taking care of that. You just focus on not getting stuck in one again,” Jay laughed and lifted his head, searching around for a short moment before pointing to a building that, unlike many of the other dingy, rusting structures in Kingsend, still appeared to have a bit of dignity about it. The metal facade, while not gleaming, was clean of rust and its long, wooden plaque that hung above its wide doorway looked freshly painted with the words ‘The Tarnished Crown’ and a copy of the same silvery crown from the royal banner on either side of the name.

The glass lattice windows invitingly beckoned the three weary travelers out of the cool night and into the warm glow of the hearth within. Like other taverns, lively tunes played on flutes and stringed instruments made Leo’s feet move right up to the door without him fully realizing it. His hungry stomach painfully cramped, again reminding Leo just how long he had gone without proper food. The apple from Noah had long since left him feeling hungry again. Jay pushed the door open and held it for his four-legged partner and Leo.

While he had not been particularly cold on the streets, the wave of heated air made the Charmeleon stand up on his clawed toes with a pleased, unconscious hiss while his tail flame brightened considerably. The warmth resonated with him more than he could express in words; as if he was hugged by an old friend.

An excited cry from nearby and a hearty slap on his scales brought an end to his brief experience.

“LEO! Haha! You made it, my friend!” Noah’s boisterous voice made him wince from the noise. He turned, now seeing the Dewott again after what felt like hours, but had been days. Leo gave him a weak smile and tried to flash a ‘thumbs-up’ with his claws, though it was complicated with his lack of proper thumb. He eventually gave up the attempt with a tired sigh; another adjustment that he needed to make in this body.

“Hey, Noah... I made it, yeah. T-Thanks to Kelly and Jay here.” Leo motioned to behind him where the two Pokémon were taking up seats along a hewn, wooden table in the middle of the clamoring inn. “Has it really been days...? I was only an hour behind you... Two at most...” He asks feebly, still not quite sure how that worked. His stomach again growled. “And do they have food here...? I’m famished.”

“Not to worry, my friend! Food shall be had and debts settled. Come on, let’s go join your hired saviors, shall we?” Noah asked, though by the way he put his arm around Leo’s back and goaded him along, it was clearly not meant to be answered in the negative. Leo found himself perched on a rough, wide stool made to accommodate beings of many shapes and sizes. Across from him was the Riolu and Jolteon he had become acquainted with while Noah sat to his side, leaning onto the table on folded arms. The Dewott raised a paw to his mouth and whistled shrilly to get the attention of the overworked waiter, a buzzing, dragon-esque creature that Leo vaguely recalled as a Vibrava.

Food was ordered faster than Leo could pick up what was being ordered, with Kelly, Jay, and Noah all calling out their desired meals while he simply blinked in confusion. “E-Err... I’ll have what he's having...” The green, insectoid eyes of the Vibrava simply gave him a dull blink before its diamond-shaped wings buzzed and it was off elsewhere. The Charmeleon leaned into Noah and whispered, “... What did I order?”

A paw tapped hard on the table, interrupting Noah’s coming response.

“Sorry to interrupt, but now that the meals are ordered, shall we get to business?” Jay asked, folding back his brown hood. Leo could not see it properly before under his cloak, but in the warm, orange light of the tavern he saw that the Riolu had a crimson band of sorts bound over his eyes, wrapping entirely around his head. It certainly was not a decorative addition, though there was a golden design on the cloth that Leo did not recognize. “... You can stop staring any time you’d like, Leo. I’m not as blind as I seem.”

The Charmeleon immediately averted his gaze and felt a different sort of heat build in his cheeks. He had not expected that Jay was visually impaired. The Riolu was able to perceive just fine for Leo not to have noticed so far.

“Yes, you do need to settle payment. The other half is owed for Leo’s safe return from Tranquility Weald, as per our agreement,” Kelly began, her tone professional. “We do appreciate the offer of dinner too. Like your friend, we too are quite famished.”

Crudely-shaped metal plates piled high with what looked to be a fruit-based dish slid down the wooden slats and settled in front of each of the four seated Pokémon. The Vibrava buzzed away quickly and talk of debts was shelved as they tucked into their meals. Leo prodded the amalgamation of fruits and took a slow bite with his claws. It was incredibly sweet, but not to the point of disgust. In fact, it was quite good and, he presumed, somewhat healthy. Almost without realizing it, he had cleaned off over half his plate and certainly showed no signs of ceasing.

“Anyways, back to business...” Kelly began after brushing her face against a cloth to wipe it clean of fruit remnants. “The remainder of the reward is owed. Two hundred Silver Crowns.” Leo glanced to his side while quietly munching on his meal. Noah squirmed slightly in his seat and pushed his plate out of the way. The Dewott leaned up against the table and Leo suddenly knew that Noah had not a coin to pay them with; that was the reaction of a creature attempting to strike a bargain.

“... Kelly... Jay... Listen...” He began to an immediate chorus of groans from the rescuers. “I don’t have the money, that much is painfully true. Spent the last Crowns I had on this dinner, actually, which you enjoyed, yes? So maybe that’s like, one hundred and seventy-five Crowns I owe now?” Leo could almost see Noah’s words writhing in the air to find a deal. Jay thumped a blue paw on the table.

“Dinner was promised alongside the reward, Noah. There’s witnesses that heard you say that,” the Riolu growled darkly, his covered gaze staring daggers at Noah, who again shifted uncomfortably in his seat as another avenue of negotiations closed.

“Noah... Are you sure you don’t have the money? ... You really don’t want to get the authorities involved, do you?” Kelly inquired calmly, though Leo could see the hidden fire in her eyes. By the tense flicking of her ears, he knew the Jolteon was fuming just beneath the surface. “We don’t like being cheated out of our hard work. We aren’t the novice team you might think we are. Or, at least, we won't be treated as a novice team.”

Leo simply gulped down the last of his meal and meekly pressed himself into the back of the chair, wanting to disappear into the wood. He had assumed Noah would hold true to his word. Now a creeping shame crawled up his neck and to his cheeks, making him slump down in his seat to avoid being caught in the cross-fire.

The blue otter took a deep breath and held up his paws, as if requesting peace. “Alright, alright, let’s not get hasty! We can keep this a civil matter between civil ‘mon, can we not?” Noah started, almost being interrupted by an indignant ‘humph’ from Jay. “I’m a salvager by trade, so I come across all sorts of neat stuff, surely you’d be interested in—”

“You mean a scavenger... And you can’t have any rusted dungeon junk worth two hundred Silver Crowns,” Jay interjected sharply, causing Noah to backpedal his attempt to diffuse the situation slightly. Though, there was a certain gleam in the Dewott’s eyes at that.

“Ah... But beyond my interesting and legal trinkets, the most valuable thing I come across is information!” Noah boasted with a wide grin. “Info your team will find most interesting, I’m sure.” If he was waiting for a positive reaction from Jay or Kelly, there was none forthcoming. The Dewott waited another moment before he leaned forward and sighed.

“Alright. I’ll cut to the chase. I’ve come across reliable stories relating to High Peak Spring. Think of me a scoundrel and ruin-robber all you want, but I check rumors and stories carefully before I go off anywhere. I believe the stories that there’s a way to go deeper, beyond the recorded depths...” Noah explained with a quiet excitement behind every word from his mouth. Jay remained sullen, with his arms folded across his chest. And Kelly, from what Leo could tell, was at least incredulous instead of outright disappointed.

“Listen... Noah. High Peak Spring has been thoroughly documented since it appeared what, two centuries ago when the spring dried up. It’s a relatively stable dungeon. Decent maps exist of it, and there’s hardly much to speak of inside, save the odd wild ‘mon that nest in it seasonally...” Kelly replied, being as gentle and calm as she could with the overly-optimistic Dewott.

“The bottom line is that there’s nothing new to be found there. Nothing worth the Crowns you owe, nor to cover a day of exploring for us,” Jay added right on the heel of Kelly’s diplomatic reply. “You’re going to have to do a bit more than that.”

Surprisingly, the smile did not leave Noah’s face at that. He simply raised a paw, asking the two rescuers to wait while he searched his own bag with his other hand. A small, rolled up square of paper was pulled out and spread on the table with both of Noah’s paws. From his angle, he saw several long and straight paths, connecting a series of square boxes of varying sizes. Scrawled writing in the space around the boxes listed labels such as “passage down— behind false wall”, “wild nest—Zubat”, and “pitfall—AVOID.” There boxes seemed to be grouped into a distinct section, which Leo supposed was a map after some thought, and at the end region was a noticeably-messier, but important label, judging by its frantic letters and furious underlining: “Door!”

“Kelly, talk to me. What’s on it?” Jay whispered to his partner, apparently unable to see the scribbled map. “Is it anything new?”

“Hmm... While crude, they appear to mark out a floor for High Peak Spring... But beyond the five recorded by the cartographers...” She trailed off and rose her head to stare at the smirking Dewott. “Explain. Please.” Leo did not think it possible, but Noah’s grin got even wider.

“Oh, so you are interested! Thought this was beyond you both!” Noah laughed jovially for a long moment, even hooking an arm around Leo to draw him in, much to his discomfort. “Heh, you think I’d approach you with this offer without checking it out first? Oh no. That’s my map right there. It’s all there. One entirely-undocumented floor and more waiting behind that hidden passage,” The Dewott quickly folded up the map again, causing both intrigued explorers to bark in protest. “Provided you allow us to join you!”

Leo gave Noah an incredulous look. “Us?!” he exclaimed, pulling the Dewott’s arm off of him.

A blue paw again swiftly landed on the table with a thump that rattled the empty pewter plates. “No! Oh no! No! No! We are not taking either of you into a dungeon! Not when we just got stiffed rescuing him! No!” Jay snarled, pointing accusingly at Leo from across the table.

“H-Hey! I don’t like this idea any more than you do!” Leo yelped, trying in vain to distance himself from the clearly-insane otter. “Do I have any say in this?!”

“Listen! Both of you! I owe you both for the rescue...” Noah replied first to Jay and Kelly before be whirled on Leo. “And you! You owe me, otherwise you’d still be tossed around like a ragdoll by the Weald!” That sentence was emphasized with a sharp prod to the middle of Leo’s chest by the Dewott’s clawed finger. “We’re both going, because I need somebody to back me in case something goes wrong.” Noah’s stern gaze made Leo shrink back, thoroughly cowed.

The former human sunk into his chair, idly stroking his artifact key while the deliberations continued over his head. Jay, despite his stubborn nature, was beginning to waver. Leo could tell he wanted the score from whatever this crude map promised. Kelly too was not immune to the allure of being the first to officially catalog a new part of this mystery dungeon. Their protests about Leo’s own inexperience were rebutted by Noah, who threw back their own claims that high Peak Springs was known to be vastly more stable than Tranquility Weald, and if the Charmeleon could survive that, he would survive this one.

Leo was not sure he agreed with that assessment, but he was remotely pleased to hear that Noah had such confidence in him, either that or he truly was insane to demand the recently-transformed human tag along. Unsure of what to make of the situation, the Charmeleon sipped water from the crude tankard he had been given along his meal. The rest of the Tarnished Crown’s customers, surprisingly, did not seem interested in the loud negotiations going on at his table. He was thankful for that, as the last thing he needed was to get a poor reputation not one hour after arriving in Kingsend.

The Charmeleon brushed off his cream scales where Noah had prodded him and looked out the latticed window at the street. It was dim outside, but he could still see the road beyond. Aside from various Pokémon stomping home from the day’s work, a line of at least ten such creatures all waited for their turn at what appeared to be a stone well in the middle of the street. Buckets and washbasins of a motley of sizes all waited to be filled by the slow team of Infernape guards. It was strange, seeing the well so closely guarded, but after a moment it made sense. Leo had seen the empty gulch as he crossed into Kingsend; the river must have gone dry some time ago.

Leo suddenly appreciated the half-full water tankard he had been given and cupped it possessively with both hands. To his right, it sounded as if the negotiations were at last winding down. The Charmeleon hesitantly turned to face the trio again. The Dewott was in the middle of shaking his paws with a reluctant Jay.

“... We’re in agreement then. Leo and I will accompany Team Salient to High Peak Spring to help map out the lower reaches. The reward for the completed map and loot will be split seventy-thirty in Salient’s favor after the two-hundred Crowns are paid as promised,” Noah concluded with a wide grin, leading both the Jolteon and Riolu to nod in agreement. Leo could not recall a more tense or forced smile than the one from Jay right then. While Noah might have been just fine with this, no one else seemed as confident.

“... You’ll meet us at the old well on the north end of town tomorrow at sunrise. No later. And you will both have to have your own supplies. Jay and I can’t cover you when our own supplies are stretched as they are,” Kelly said with a deep sigh once Noah had finished. “... And please, be timely. We want to get on the move before the roads get too busy.”

“Perfect! We’ll be there, don’t you worry!” Noah clapped his paws and then Leo’s back suddenly. “I’ve got us a room with two hammocks. Upstairs and second door on the right. You’ll have to watch your tail; can’t be torching this place. We’ll need to get some shuteye before heading out.” With that, the Dewott slid off the worn bench and gave a casual salute to the three remaining Pokémon. “Good night, all.”

Leo did not acknowledge Noah and merely swirled the water around his cup until he had walked off with a cheerful whistle. Once Noah was safely out of earshot, the Charmeleon slumped forward until his head hit the table with a thud.

“Gods... What did I do to get caught up in this...?” Leo groaned mostly to himself.

“Wrong place, wrong time I suppose...” Kelly began, her tone softer and warmer now that she was not dealing with the Dewott. “If it’s any consolation... We don’t blame you for any of this. You’re as much an unwilling participant in Noah’s scheme as we are, if not more of one... As far as we know at least.” That provided Leo a small comfort, though it did not rectify the situation any.

“Thanks...” Leo murmured, head still pressed onto the table in abject defeat.

“Get some rest. I don’t know what’s up with you, but while High Spring Peak isn’t a hard dungeon, it’s a hike for sure. You’ll want to be rested,” Jay recommended gruffly before Leo heard him pull away from the table, chair scraping on the stone floor. Kelly followed suit with jumping down from her stool. Leo lifted his head curiously.

“Will you both be staying here...?” he inquired quietly as his claws idly scratch at the worn wooden planks on the table.

Jay turned back and gave a short laugh. “We’d rather sleep in a barn, again, than sleep in the same building as that conniving idiot,” he replied with no small amount of venom. The Riolu then shook his head. “Good luck.”

Leo groaned and gave them both a weak nod before they departed the inn to an unknown destination for the night. The patrons at the tables around him were starting to bid their compatriots a good night and vacate as well. The Vibrava buzzed by on nearly-silent wings to collect his empty tankard and plate while he attempted to make sense of things.

The Charmeleon glanced over at the wooden stairs at the back of the dining hall that Noah had gone up. While he was tired, Leo did not yet feel like joining the Dewott in sleep. With a grunt and a stretch of his sore arms, the crimson Pokémon got up from his seat and made his way towards the front door of the inn without a word spoken to anyone. Going out into the town at night without a guide was probably foolish, but his curiosity needed to be sated.

A cool wind greeted him as he pushed open the door and entered the torch and crystal-lit streets. With the last light of the sun starting to fade from the horizon and the streets and the roads far less crowded than they had been earlier, Kingsend now appeared more peaceful. Leo could fully take in the sights at his leisure now that he was not being ushered by Kelly and Jay.

There were signs of life in between the stone and metal structures: twisting trees with roots that forced apart the cobblestone and drooping branches that hung into the street, small plots of soil where gardens full of near-sere plants clearly suffering from insufficient rain. The entire town bore the hallmarks of a city that was in drought; small clouds of disturbed dust rose up from the road with every step he made. While the milling Pokémon had mostly vanished, the line at the well remained steady, with more citizens coming up clutching empty metal bowls and pitchers at the same rate the guards were filling them.

Leo took a seat on a wooden cargo crate just outside a closed carpentry shop likely run by an Armaldo if the colorful hanging sign was anything to go by. From his perch, he observed the routine process at the well and got the idea after a few moments. A Pokémon would step forward towards the stone well, typically clutching a pitcher or pot, which they turned over to one of the armor-clad group. There would be some haggling, with the soldiers asking for names and checking it off against a lengthy list one of the squad, a tall, cat-like creature with red fur, possessed, likely a census roll for the town.

Inevitably, there were more than a few whose names did not show up and the haggling increased. Sometimes the process was barely noticeable, with a practiced and discrete passing of coins to the roll-carrying Incineroar, who deftly pocketed the bribe and pretended to find the ‘missing’ name on the next page. Other times, though, if there was not money to be exchanged, the haggling turned to begging and then to pleading to get additional water rations. Leo winced as he saw more than one citizen be plucked up by the burly Infernape and bodily tossed aside.

Once the matter of being on the roll or greasing paws was established, then the guards proceeded to man the heavy pump to extract sputtering pulls of water up from some unseen reservoir. After a few turns of the pump, the scene finished off with the pot or pitcher being returned to its owner, letting the cycle begin again. It was quite interesting, Leo found, to watch it. The way the crew of guards interacted with the citizens was unpredictable. He watched them shift from shifty, money-grubbing, and surely to laughing and readily helping depending on who was next in line.

“Must not be from around here... Am I right, Charmeleon?”

Leo very nearly jumped out of his scales at the sudden deep voice to his immediate left. Clutching the crate to keep himself from slipping off, the Charmeleon looked up to see a tall, lupine creature outlined in the orange light coming from the crystal outside the Tarnished Crown. Leo did not say a word as the stranger slouched back on the metal column, allowing the light to flash across his features.

The Pokémon was covered in fur that ranged from blood-red to bone-white. A large mane of white, pointed tufts added quite a bit to their height and intimidation factor. The stranger looked down at Leo with a pair of pink-red eyes that appeared to glow in the dimming light. The Lycanroc chuckled dryly and clapped a large, heavy paw on Leo’s shoulder, which nearly made the lizard crumple from the latent force behind the friendly gesture.

“You’re definitely new. Can smell it plainly. You’ve a scent from elsewhere,” the stranger noted matter-of-factly as he pulled his paw back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Strange rituals Kingsend has to put up with during the drought seasons... Seem to be getting longer and longer each year.” The Lycanroc’s gaze again turned to Leo, who gulped and shrunk back slightly, still unsure how to respond.

“... Forgive me. Haven’t introduced myself. Name’s Dakarai. Happy to meet a new face in Kingsend, even if you’ve come during trying times...” the wolf said with a small nod towards the queue at the well pump.

“...Err... Nice to meet you, Dakarai... Name’s Leo,” Leo finally managed to sputter out once he realized the Lycanroc likely meant him no harm. “Y-Yes. I just got here from... I just got here,” he quickly corrects after realizing he did not have a place to be from except a terrible dungeon. “Is the drought here that serious?”

Dakarai brushed a tuft of hanging white fur out of his eyes and nodded. “Yessir. River dried up ages ago, but only in the last few years has the rainy season not dumped enough here to keep the wells full. It isn’t at a crisis yet, though. King in Silver City ordered rationing after the first year and it’s worked pretty well so far,” the Lycanroc commented as the line continued to move. By now, a group of Nuzleaf were on the spot to get their waterskins refilled.

“I see... That’s good then; that they’re making it last...” Leo trailed off before his gaze turned from the well to his companion. The wolf was wearing a get-up not unlike the duo from Team Salient were sporting. A belt holding pouches and a small coin pouch sat on his waist alongside a sheath for a small blade. Around his neck was a green bandanna that was adorned with a small metal badge with a design Leo could not make out in the dim light. “You’re an explorer?” He guessed while hoping he used the right term. Kelly had briefly explained earlier there different categories of Pokémon that delved into dungeons, but he did not remember them well.
Dakarai chuckled. “Of sorts, yeah. Guess you could call me more a scout or ranger though. I go into dungeons, but I am not much on making those detailed maps the explorers typically make. Too tedious for me and my big paws.” He made a point of clenching and unclenching one of his large mitts to accentuate that statement. “I do odd jobs for the Crown inside dungeons,” he elaborated nonchalantly. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh! U-Uh... I was curious is all...” Leo gulped and did his best to keep his nerves down. He suddenly had a brainwave hit him and looked back up at the inquisitive red eyes of the Lycanroc. “I’m actually going out into one tomorrow... First job. High Mountain Spring, I think? You know it...? Is it safe? ... Got any advice?” Leo inquired, leaving out that he had survived a dungeon before then.

“Ah. High Peak Spring. Yeah, I know it. Not much there by way of excitement. You’ll be just fine,” he laughed. “Enjoy the caverns and the water-weathered rocks. They’re fairly beautiful, all smoothed out like that. See where all Kingsend’s water once flowed.” The wolf then pointed at the horizon. In the growing black, it was hard to see, but there was a tall form silhouetted against the stars. “There she is, sitting pretty right over there. Nice short hike from here. Really pleasant this time of year,” Dakarai continued to elaborate. “Might find some Zubats nesting this season, but if you don’t mess with them, they won’t bat a wing at you.” He then chuckled at his apparent play on words.

“I’ll be staying around here for a few days dealing with the Crown. If you’ll be around, I’d like to hear how your first outing goes at High Peak. Been a while since I was a rookie like you, Leo,” Dakarai again clapped Leo’s shoulder, but with less force that time. “I’ll be around this plaza at sunset tomorrow. Come find me and I’ll buy you and your team a meal for an exciting tale, if you’ll indulge me.”

Leo blinked at the offer and slowly willed his head to nod.

“S-Sure! I just hope our story is exciting enough to warrant a meal,” he accepted on behalf of his ‘team’, two of which were not affiliated with him and the other likely would be skeptical at best. But, it was done and the Lycanroc flashed a toothy grin Leo’s way.

“It’ll be a fine tale, I’m sure. Focus on the job and getting it done right.” The red and white Pokémon straightened up and dipped his head towards the Charmeleon. “Until tomorrow, my fiery friend.” And as quickly as he had appeared, the Midnight Lycanroc melted back into the darkening streets leaving Leo alone once more with the now-dwindling line at the well.

A loud yawn escaped his maw as he stared up at the stars and the outline of High Peak Spring to the north. Tomorrow would bring a whole new challenge there and so soon after he barely escaped Tranquility Weald. A shiver of apprehension went through him.

“Is this right? ... Is following along on this job my purpose here? Gods, I don’t know...” Leo muttered to the dim stars above. Around him, the tired land of Verus gave him no cosmic answer. No mysterious guiding voice this time to provide cryptic answers. With a dejected sigh Leo turned back towards the Tarnished Crown. The Charmeleon somehow found himself in his assigned room and hammock a short while later, having climbed up the creaking stairs in a fugue state. He had the foresight to make sure his flaming tail was safely over the edge of the hanging hammock before he closed his eyes.

Sleep came quickly to his exhausted form, dragging him under without much time to be annoyed by Noah’s light snoring a few feet away. Flashes of indeterminate thoughts flitted in and out of his subconscious as the witching hours ticked by; strange and blurry visions that always ended with a pair of watching golden eyes staring at him from the horrors just beyond the dream’s edge.

End Chapter Three