I'm back, this time for good. I've finally got back in the rhythm of writing and I'm excited to get this story out. I've also tried to do something a little different this chapter to help things go a little faster, just because I felt that the previous chapters seemed to progress painfully slow, with each chapter basically being only a day or half a day long. I you feel as if this progresses too fast then feel free to leave a review, I'll really appreciate it.

Other than that, please enjoy the latest chapter of PMD: A Frozen Heart

Chapter 10:DUN DUN DUNGEON

My lungs burned as I finished my sixth lap around guild headquarters. A small cheer rose from the entrance as I passed, and I gave a sharp glare in return. Eevee balked under my gaze and ceased any sort of celebration. The small normal type had finished this damned run long before anyone else; now, he sat next to Fabian and watched each of his teammates pass by.

I cursed the feraligatr's name, he knew how much I hated running, and he still designated every day to have a long race where I was forced to run absurd distances. He said that it was necessary for improved stamina, but there was no way it was necessary every single day. I still had four more laps to go, and I was already dead tired. How Eevee could ever do something like this and still have so much energy, I would never understand.

I was rounding the corner to finish my seventh lap when the loud clanging of the guild bell caused me to slow to a stop. Within my first week at the guild, I learned what the bell meant. Every morning there was a guild meeting led by Swanna or Guildmaster Aurorus, which was announced by the incessant ringing of the bell to call all guildmembers to the headquarters.

With my chest heaving, I stopped at the entrance and walked inside. Eevee sputtered out some attempt at starting a conversation, but I gave him not so much as a glance as I passed. I did, however, give Fabian a seething glare, to which he responded with a chuckle before saying, "Well done Ninetales, you got seven laps this time, that's much better than last week."

He says that every single day, "Well done, you got five laps, six laps, six-and-a-half." I shook my head, beads of sweat dripping from my mane and down my snout. I swear when I am queen, I will make that damned water-type run laps around my castle until he collapses.

Pokemon bustled about, trying to find their seats before the meeting started. I soon found myself in my usual spot, seated around the fifty or so guild trainees. The number of potential guild members had dropped drastically since the first week, most of them being scared off by the strict training and potential for danger in mystery dungeons.

The rest of my team made themselves comfortable around me. Floatzel flopped onto the seat next to mine and lay there gasping for breath, the heat and stench of exercise wafting off him. My nose curled, and I shied away, moving a seat away to separate myself from his filth. Eevee and Sandslash both sat nonchalantly, neither of them seeming tired from the run earlier. Lastly came Fabian, his massive, scarred body still drawing the eyes of pokemon as he passed.

The sounds of rustling pokemon instantly quieted once the white form of Swanna pattered its way onto the stone parapet at the front of the arena. He pulled a scroll out from under his wing and cleared his throat, unfurling the paper to read it clearly. "Good morning guild members, we have just a few items of business today. First, we'd like to honor Team Comet for their work in mapping out the rank four dungeon north of the capital."

Across the arena, Golem and Ampharos stood from their seats and offered polite bows, the surrounding guild members applauding them for their work. I had been wondering where those close friends of Fabian had gone, and it turns out they had been traveling through a level four dungeon. I shuddered at the thought, my experience with a level one dungeon was terrifying enough, and the idea of a dungeon being more confusing and dangerous made me nauseous.

"Second," declared Swanna, snapping his scroll taut. "The vigilante Flare has been officially designated an outlaw by the judiciary, their bounty has been set to ten thousand brands."

Next to me, Floatzel coughed and sputtered, flailing his limbs till he managed to sit up properly in his seat. "TEN THOUSAND BRANDS," he whispered harshly. "That's enough to set you up comfortably for a year."

Eevee rubbed at his foreleg. "It seems kinda harsh don't you think? Flare may not be a guild member, but they're doing the right thing, catching outlaws and such."

With a fold of her arms, Sandslash said, "The king has set these laws for a reason, guild members are the only ones allowed to pursue outlaws because we have a strict set of rules to follow ourselves. Also, we're the ones with the proper training to defend ourselves, a vigilante is liable to get themselves killed in a confrontation."

"Still," Eevee muttered, "Imagine being labeled a criminal just for capturing outlaws, and getting the highest bounty in years put on your head for doing what you think is right." The normal type shook his head and offered me a sidelong glance.

"Also, there is a small reward available to any guild member that can provide information on the missing items in the guild headquarters." Swanna declared as he scanned the crowd. "Considering I'm sure none of you would like your personal items disappearing as well, I'm sure we will find who is responsible soon.

Swanna rolled up his scroll and tucked it back under his wing. "That concludes today's business. Remember, With thousands of pokemon and hundreds of teams."

I slammed my paws over my ears just before the guild members screeched out, "WE FORM ONE." No matter how many times I heard it, the guild motto would always be deafening to me.

Pokémon shuffled off the stands as they headed toward their daily tasks. My own team was following Fabian toward the arena when we were called out to by the guildmaster's assistant.

"Ah, there you are, Team Spire," the swanna said, and I cringed at his words.

I still hated that name; Eevee had presented it a week ago as a way of saying we "aspire for greatness." Floatzel instantly agreed with the corny idea, and Sandslash did not care enough to oppose it, so here I was, stuck with a pun for a team name.

Floating behind the assistant was another flying type, an altaria who spun in little circles while Swanna approached. Fabian and Swanna gave each other respectful nods before the assistant turned towards Sandslash.

"Good morning, team leader," Swannna said, making me grind my teeth at the injustice of it all. "I have a proposition for you and your team." The assistant gestured with a wing towards the altaria behind him. "This is Altaria, she is a recruit just like you, but unfortunately the rest of her team have dropt out the guild and now she has no-one to work with."

The fluffy flying type drifted closer while Swanna talked, waving a little wing while he introduced her. "If you and your team would like, she could join your team for the foreseeable future," the assistant ended.

Sandslash folded her arms impassively over her chest before she turned to the rest of the team. "What do you think?" She asked.

Floatzel frowned and put his paws up to his orange floater, "I don't know, no offense Altaria but you're not a small pokemon, and we barely have enough room as it is." At his words, Altaria wilted like a flower, the two long blue feathers on her head drooping like sad ears.

With a tap to his tucked scroll, Swanna said, "The guild is willing to offer you a larger accommodation if you're willing to take Altaria."

My ears perked up at the assistant's words. A larger accommodation? There wasn't any room in the dungeon they called the living area large enough for the fluffy flying type. Surely this meant that we would be getting a room above ground.

I pushed in front of Eevee and Floatzel. "We'll take her." I said definitively.

Swanna's eyes fluttered in surprise. "I appreciate your enthusiasm Ninetales, but that is a decision that should be made by your whole team. Take some time to talk it over." He turned back and pulled Alaria to the side, speaking hushedly to her.

I gazed back and glared at the rest of my team. I needed that above-ground room, no matter the cost. Eevee shied away from my stare while Floatzel leaned side to side, seeming to physically weigh the pros and cons in his brain. Sandslash had no discernible expression, a recurring theme that ticked me off to no end.

Eevee was the first to speak up, "I don't see any reason why we shouldn't, having a flying type on a team is always useful." He said while scratching at a foreleg, and Floatzel nodded his head in agreement.

With a curt nod, Sandslash turned to the guildmaster's assistant. "It seems my team has made up their minds."

Swanna smiled and pulled out his scroll. With a few quick jots, he marked something down before returning it under his wing. He practically looked like a farfetch'd with that roll of paper constantly tucked at his side. "Very well then, Miss Altaria, welcome to Team Spire," he said before offering a polite bow and taking his leave.

The other flying type watched him pad down the hall before she let out a small sigh and took in a deep breath.

"OH ARCEUS, THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU." Altaria squealed as she rushed into our midst. Her fluffy wings rose and wrapped around the four of us. "We were looking for a team for days and I was getting so worried that I wasn't going to be able to join the guild."

I coughed and spat at the downy feathers wrapped around my face. With gritted teeth, I tried to push out of the flying type's grasp, but she was surprisingly strong and kept me in the involuntary group hug. "OH, I'M SO EXCITED," she said, and she finally let us out from her wings.

Unceremoniously dropping to my paws, I spat out a pawful of fluffy white feathers. Altaria continued, not minding the state she left everyone in. "Anyways, like Swanna said, I'm Altaria, but you can just call me Crystal. All my friends call me Crystal, and we're gonna be the best of friends now that we're in a team together."

I raised a brow, we had only just met, and she was already telling us her name. This flying type had the social excitement and energy of a jolteon, and I was already starting to second-guess my choice to take her in.

Fabian approached from the side, where he had been patiently waiting and watching this whole time. "It's a pleasure to meet you Crystal, I'm sure you'll make a wonderful addition to Team Spire." He said before offering the altaria a short bow.

Crystal's eyes widened as she took in the feraligatr's hulking, scarred form, but in a split second, she lifted her chin off the floor and gave a bright smile. "Mmhmm, thank you mister."

With a meaty clap of his paws, Fabian said, "Why don't you go ahead and find your new sleeping arrangements, but be back here in an hour for your training."

Crystal instantly spun in a little circle and let out a happy trill. "Oh boy, lets go lets go." She said and fluttered down the hall, singing a happy tune the whole way, with the rest of my team not far behind.

I rolled my eyes and made a move to follow when a meaty claw landed on my shoulder. With a huff, I looked up at Fabian and shook his paw off, giving him an expectant glare.

A warm smile filled the feraligatr's maw, and he folded his arms across his muscular chest. "I appreciate what you did for Crystal. Though I know you may not have done it out of the kindness of your heart, it still really helped her out."

I sighed and shook my head. "I did what was best for me, I needed to get out of that dungeon." I said with a growl.

Fabian chuckled. "Aww c'mon, the recruit living quarters aren't anywhere as bad as you make them out to be," he said with his obnoxious smile.

With a cold sneer, I turned away. He couldn't possibly understand what it was like for me. My pace was stopped when the feraligatr called out to me one last time. "Oh, and by the way, Ninetales." I gritted my teeth before turning to face him. This was one of the most annoying things he did, waiting till I was leaving to say one last thing. "You're getting better at using those contractions. I'm sure one day they'll come as easily as breathing." He said, and with that, he leaned against the wall and stared off into space, patiently waiting for Team Spire to return for training.

Sighing, I continued on to find my new quarters. However, what he said was true. It made me queasy to admit it, but I was managing to speak like a commoner and improving every day. To think I spent years learning to communicate eloquently, yet now I trained to lose all proper mannerisms.

Within a minute, I found my teammates huddled around a doorway, with Snubbull grumbling as he jangled a key ring. Finally, he opened the door and waddled away, mumbling something about the annoyance of rookies.

Floatzel, Eevee, and Crystal all pushed against each other as they tried to enter the room at the same time. Eventually, they spilled inside, with Sandslash and I following gently behind.

This new quarter was a significant improvement over the downstairs living area. An actual window provided gentle sunlight, and there were cots lining the walls instead of disgusting sleeping pads. The stone walls did not smell of damp underground and instead smelled of the cool forest breeze that blew through the headquarters.

Floatzel jumped onto one of the cots and rolled around in the soft fabric. "Ok, this is definitely an improvement." He said as he flopped onto his back. Eevee poked tentatively at one of the cots while Sandlash simply sat into hers. With a happy trill, Crystal turned a corner of the room into a cloud as she made herself comfortable in her new bed.

Silently, I made my way over to the only space left open, a single cot sitting underneath the lofty window. I poked at the frame and the fabric, comfort greeting me in return. Oh, this definitely was an improvement, indeed. Everyone here should be thanking me. I've improved our sleeping conditions considerably.

Within the hour, we had moved all of our belongings into our new living quarters. All except for Floatzel, he took an eternity to carry everything he had and stayed behind after we were due. Saying he would "make up the exercises with the gator later."

The drab stone walls glowed a soft yellow with the light of the sun pouring in through the doorways and arches. The halls smelled of leaves and grass as the morning breeze blew through, carrying the scent of fresh spring.

The padding and clicking of paws and claws echoed through the hall as the remainder of Team Spire and I moved toward the arena. However, the sound of a set of paws stopped, and I looked back to see Eevee stuck in place, staring up at the wall. I followed his gaze to find an eerily familiar sight. A board hung on the wall with pictures of various pokemon stuck to it, almost identical to the vigilante board I had seen in the circular dungeon.

The Pokémon around me could probably hear the gears turning in my head as I thought over what I had seen. Whoever set up the vigilante board must have had some prior experience with the guild and its inner workings. The way the vigilante board was organized was indistinguishable from the one here, and the wanted posters were identical as well.

Eevee gazed up at the posters with starstruck eyes, "Do you think we'll ever be able to take one of these guys in?" He asked.

With an emotionless shrug, Sandslash said, "If nobody gives up and leaves then I'm sure we will. It's part of our job as guild members."

Ignoring the question, I turned towards the normal type. "Tell me Eevee, what do you know about the vigilante?" I asked passively.

Eevee coughed and sputtered at my question, completely shutting down under my gaze. "Ei, I-I, I know that they're a fire type, th-they started doing their vigilante work about two years ago and they catch almost as many outlaws as the entire guild each month." He said with a paw rubbing at his leg. He looked up at me only to quickly look away. "W-why do you ask?"

I gazed blankly at the board above. "About two weeks ago, I went through a dungeon called 'Twisting Trails,' in the dungeon there was a sign just like this one." I said as I turned back towards the normal type, his own eyes shying away under my gaze. "Feraligatr told me it was most likely a vigilante's outlaw board."

At my words, Eevee's eyes lit up, and he looked up excitedly, all previous bashfulness forgotten in his excitement. "You saw the vigilante's board!? What did it look like? Did it have all the outlaws on there?" He asked hurriedly.

My ears went back at the barrage of noisy questions, and I held up a paw to stop his questioning. Eevee instantly quieted and looked down at his paws, a red blush covering his cheeks. "You'll just have to see it for yourself," I said and moved past him. He sat there sullen and picked himself up a few moments later, with Sandslash not far behind. As I walked towards the arena, I passed by Crystal, who had been peering mindlessly up at clouds during our whole conversation.

Within a minute, I was back in the foul sandy arena, standing in front of an expectant feraligatr. He crossed his arms over his chest as he peered at my team. "Where's the rest of you?" He asked with a gesture towards an empty spot in our group.

Sandslash shrugged and said, "Floatzel had to stay behind to finish moving his things."

With a grunt and a scratch to his chin, Fabian responded, "Hmm, well then you're gonna have to relay this information to him then." He posted in place and placed his claws on his hips. "Team Spire has just received their first mission, we're heading out in fifteen minutes."

Eevee and Crystal gasped and fluttered with excitement while Sandslash simply grunted and started back toward the living area. I bit my cheek as my eyes narrowed with a stern gare towards Fabian before I marched over to him. "Why was I not told of this earlier?" I whispered harshly.

With a small chuckle, Fabian said, "I didn't know till a few minutes ago, and don't worry, it's a pretty easy mission." I eyed him expectantly, but he gave no further information. "I'll explain when everyone else is here, you'll see."

Letting out a huff, I sat and waited, with Sandslash and Floatzel arriving a few minutes later. With the entirety of Team Spire in front of him, Fabian cleared his throat and put his claws on his hips. "All right, about half an hour ago a distressed mother came into the guild. Her child seems to have wandered into a mystery dungeon and she needs us to go and get them."

At the feraligatr's words, Floatzel, Eevee, and Crystal started talking excitedly, asking questions about what type of dungeon and how far it was. Meanwhile, my chest tightened at the news. Why did it have to be in a dungeon? They were full of feral pokemon, and I did not have any pleasant experiences with those things. Sure, Fabian had spent the last two weeks forcing me to train in physical combat, but I still had no desire to put it into action.

One of my legs bounced anxiously, and my breathing quickened. I couldn't go back into one of those things. What if a stronger pokemon ambushes me, and I end up with something worse than just a headbutt and a few bruised ribs?

I sat shivering and chewing at a lip until a heavy paw fell on my shoulder. With a jerk, I flinched away and glared at the sympathetic face of the feraligatr in front of me. Fabian gave me a soft smile and kneeled down to my level. "Listen, I know very well that while you're inexperienced, a dungeon is a scary place, but I'm gonna be there by your side the whole time. Nothing like what happened last time is going to happen." He said with a warm grin.

With a huff, I turned away. "I'm fine," I said, hiding my anxious expression behind a cold shoulder.

I heard Fabian give a soft grunt before he stood and padded away, the sand in the arena muffling the large footfalls of his paws. I stood idly by while Fabian prepared the rest of Team Spire, helping them pack all of the essentials in their adventurer's bags. Before I knew it, we were standing in front of the exit, ready to go on our first mission.

Fabian cleared his throat and turned to face the group. "Well, if anybody wants to stay behind, go ahead and speak your peace. Otherwise we're not returning till we finish the mission." He said, but nobody spoke up, the silence deafening in the warm morning air. The feraligatr grinned and clapped his claws together. "Great, then let's get going, this pokemon isn't going to save itself." And with that, he turned around and started down the dirt road, heading towards the nearest exit out of town.

Eevee and Cyrstal practically sprinted after Fabian while Sandslash and Floatzel slowly brought up the rear, with Floatzel seeming to have a frantic one-sided, hushed conversation with Sandslash.

With a sigh, I gave a passing glance towards the large stone structure I had lived in for the past two weeks. What I wouldn't give to leave and never return, never having to see the drab tan stone again, but I was forced to live this life for the next two years if Fabian was to be believed.

Up ahead, Fabian looked over his shoulder and eyed me inquisitively; I responded by rolling my eyes and trotting to catch up with the rest of the team.

I was not looking forward to this mission at all.

My ears rang as Crystal began her explanation of another chapter of her life. As soon as we left the guild headquarters, the altaria decided that we should all know her life story, literally starting at her birth.

She had already explained her parents were simple couriers who carried messages to and from the capital and how she decided to become an adventurer so that she could be the first courier capable of taking shortcuts through dungeons to shave off precious days of travel time.

She had listed all of her favorite foods and described her first time eating them. She told us all what it was like in her schooling and recounted all of the adventures she had while competing in flying competitions.

Altaria now blabbed on about her trip toward the guild headquarters, detailing a story of how she narrowly avoided a harsh storm while flying between the capital and here.

"And then, my wings were so tired I felt like they were going to fall off. And then, I saw a big old stone building. And then, I realized it was the guild place, so I landed, and the rest was history." Altaria let out a happy little trill and smiled, silently waiting as if she expected applause for the end of her tale.

No response came. Most everyone in Team Spire had their eyes focused on the ground in front of them, trekking along one step at a time while praying for the village to appear. Not everyone had the blessing of being able to fly instead of walking.

In the silence, Crystal drifted over atop Eevee's head and poked him a few times with a blue claw. "What about you, huh?" Crystal asked. "I'm sure you've got some cool stories, like how is it you're not evolved yet? Are you just, like… too indecisive? Cause I get that."

Everyone else on the team cringed at Crystal's question. For most pokemon, evolving to their final stage was a matter of pride. Being fully grown yet not fully evolved was often viewed as dishonorable.

Eevee's face fell, and he tried his best to rub awkwardly at his foreleg while still keeping pace. "I… I um… my parents… um, they're adventurers. They have been for a long time." The little normal type stuttered. "You might've heard of them. They're Flareon and Glaceon, y'know, like the ones from the Stonewood Pass stories."

"Nah," Floatzel blurted in disbelief. "Your folks are the ones who singlehandedly stopped the feral rush through the pass?"

Eevee blushed and ducked his head in a quick nod while Crystal shifted excitedly overhead. She spoke out, asking, "Well, when are we gonna meet your parents?"

I didn't think it was possible, but Eevee's face fell even further, a sad look filling his eyes. He took a moment before responding, his voice barely above a whisper. "I… uh, dont really talk to them anymore."

Crystal gazed at Eevee with a quizzical expression. "Why wo…"

"Excuse me, Crystal." Fabian called from ahead, "I think we're almost to the village, would you mind checking ahead to see how long we've got?"

With a happy trill, Crystal immediately forgot her question and zipped on ahead, her cloudy wings kicking up dust with each flap.

Fabian slowed to walk by Eevee's side before rubbing a comforting paw between the normal type's ears. He spoke a few words, using a low voice that only Eevee could hear, before moving back to the front of the party.

It was only a few minutes before Crystal returned from her trip. "I dont know what you mean by 'close', but it will take an hour or so to get to the nearest village based on the speed you guys are moving at." She announced.

With a heavy sigh, I locked my gaze on my paws as I put one in front of the other.

Great, even more walking.

The sun sat high in the sky as Team Spire, and I finally arrived at a little village situated between long rows of trees. As we crunched on the gravel paths leading between the small wooden buildings, a shiinotic ran towards my group, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Oh Arceus, thank you so much. Please, you need to hurry. My little spore is lost and alone; please, you need to save them." The shiinotic cried as he fell beseechingly at Fabian's feet. "Please, please bring them home."

In a single swift motion, Fabian knelt to the grass type's level and lifted him to his feet. "Hey, everything is gonna be alright." The feraligatr said, looking deep into the shiinotic's eyes. "We'll get your kid back. We just need some information first, Ok?"

The distressed grass type nodded and sniveled before answering the slew of Fabian's questions, like what the lost pokemon looked like and how long they'd been missing. With a comforting pat on the shiinotic's shoulder, Fabian stood and turned towards the team. "Alright then, follow me," he said as he turned towards the nearest treeline.

The water type's heavy steps brought us to a small gap in the trees, a thin trail running deep into the forest. Fabian walked up and brought our attention to a wooden sign pegged to a tree near the gap. Painted on the sign's face was a simple message that read, "WARNING, DUNGEON AHEAD, Twisted Treeline," Below the bold letters were five circles, four empty and one filled in.

Fabian tapped the sign and turned towards me, "Ninetales, would you tell everyone here what the circles under the dungeon's name mean?"

I glared silently at the scarred water type while he only grinned in return. We sat in silence. Eevee rubbed his foreleg awkwardly while shifting his gaze back and forth between the two of us.

"The little pokemon is waiting for us," Sandslash's voice suddenly rang out behind me. "For all we know, they could be getting mauled by wilds right now."

With gritted teeth, I sneered at Fabian. I couldn't care less about the fate of some random peasant, but Fabian's bleeding heart would force him into action.

The scarred water type's face fell, and he let out a quiet sigh. "The circles indicate what level the dungeon is," Fabian said with a gesture to the sign. "As you can see, this is a level one dungeon." The feraligatr grunted as he stepped over the threshold into the dungeon. "I trust that all of you will be able to handle yourselves pretty well in a level one dungeon, the most dangerous thing you can find here is a cranky timburr."

Fabian's heavy feet crunched on leaves and fallen branches as he walked down the forested path, his tail swishing leaves and sticks to the sides. The rest followed, with a majority having to rush to keep up with Fabian's long strides.

I watched them leave, waiting for a wild usaring to rear up from the shadows and gobble them up whole. Arceus knows I would never enter another dungeon willingly, no matter who needed my help. Fabian could drag me from one area to the other, but I was not going to risk my life to save some pointless peasant.

SNAP

I jumped at the crack of a branch that echoed behind me, my head spinning to find the source. All I could see was the shady expanse of trees surrounding me on all sides.

I've heard of wilds leaving the confines of dungeons before, traveling out to ravage the villages nearby. What if there was one here now? On its way back from a feast with its mouth covered in blood and claws filled with gore. There was nothing I could do to stop it alone.

Before I knew it, I was sprinting toward the team, my lungs burning as I arrived. Everyone turned at the sound of my footsteps, with Sandslash crossing her arms over her chest. "What happened? Did you fall asleep while we headed out?" she asked with a weary glare.

I shot a withering look back, ignoring the snickers coming from Floatzel and Crystal.

"That's enough," Fabian grunted, offering me a kind eye. "All that's important is that she's here now." The feraligatr again began the march, and we were forced to follow behind.

Crystal floated overhead, humming a little tune while she drifted from one side of the party to the other. To most pokemon, the music would have been comforting. However, for me, her endless noise only made my stress worse.

My fur stood on end, and my head spun on a swivel as I checked every nook and cranny for an awaiting wild pokemon. My ears were tense as I tried to listen out for any sounds of a wild, but I couldn't hear a thing over the damned noise the altaria kept making.

"Would you shut up?" I snapped at Crystal, stunning her into silence. Her cloudy feathers drooped, and her drifting slowed considerably.

Fabian let out a sigh. "Now, that's no way to speak to a teammate," he said, turning an inquisitive eye toward me.

I sneered back at him, "Words won't matter if we all die because she drew a wild toward us with her noise."

With a chuckle, Fabia said, "If anything Crystal's pretty singing was keeping wilds away. You know, most fights are caused by adventurers stumbling across and startling a feral."

At Fabian's words, Crystal instantly perked up. "Do you really mean it mister Feraligatr?" And Fabian gave her a small smile and a nod in return. Crystal immediately returned to humming, her voice drowning out the sounds of the forest.

I shook my head and followed, leaving us to look pointlessly for this idiotic peasant who managed to lose themselves in the dungeon.

We searched for the better part of two hours, following Fabian down every twist and turn in the trail before finally, we found ourselves at a riverside. The water flowed a dark brown mirroring the muddy bank on both sides. My nose curled at the stench, mud, and water mixing together to form a concoction of diseases and pests.

Fabian wasted no time wading into the mud, his feet sinking into the filth as he approached the water's edge. Everyone except Sandslash and Crystal was hesitant to enter the mud with him, standing at the edge of the dry land while eyeing the silt. Fabian stopped and turned towards us, placing his claws on his scaly hips. "No point in standing over there. If you're afraid of getting your paws a little dirty, then being an adventurer is going to be terrible for you."

At the feraligatr's words, Eevee and Floatzel reluctantly entered the mud, leaving me alone to watch them trudge through the sludge. Fabian gave me a look while the rest of the team gathered around him, his obnoxious smile trying its best to draw me out, but Arceus be damned, I would not soil my fur with this mud for the sake of some peasant.

"Come on, Ninetales," Sandslash called out, mirroring Fabian's pose of putting her claws on her hips. "We've got to find this kid before he gets himself eaten, so get over yourself and get in the mud."

With a scowl towards the ground type, I replied, "I would rather die than get this filth in my fur, you could never understand what it is like trying to keep yourself clean."

Sandslash snorted and crossed her arms, "Fine, we'll come back for you once we complete the mission," she said and forged her own path toward the river, leaving the rest of the team behind.

Fabian gave me a little look before gesturing for the team to follow, telling them to wait for him on the other side of the river.

SNAP

I jumped in place at the crack of a twig behind me but refused to move. No matter what happened, I would not get any closer to that cursed mud. I shot Fabian a glare before sitting in place, showing him my unwillingness to move.

"Click click click click click."

Ice shot through my veins at the incredibly unnatural sounds that resounded behind me. My breath hitched in my throat as I slowly turned my wide eyes toward the source. There a few lengths away, was an ariados, its soulless black eyes watching me as its mandible jaw made more of those hideous clicking noises.

"Click click click click click."

My pulse thundered in my ears as I tensed against the ground, ready to fight for my life. It felt as if every breath refused to stay put, forcing me to breathe in haggard gasps.

The ariados' eyes held no semblance of thought, not even trying to process the world around them. Its stare only focused on me as it tilted its head and made more clicks.

Then it took a step forward.

One second my eyes were locked with the wild bug's. The next, I flew through the air, jumping straight toward Fabian while a terrified scream escaped my mouth.

I landed hard, my paws slipping on the mud. I tried to catch myself but only ended up flipping over on my back, effectively rolling through the mud in my escape.

I coughed and sputtered, struggling to my feet as the mud slipped around me. I looked up to see Fabian crouched over me, muscles tensed in anticipation. After a few moments, when nothing came chasing after me, he slowly eased himself out of the athletic stance, his massive muscles relaxing. He gave me a little smirk while taking in my appearance, "I think you scared it as much as it scared you."

He lowered himself and helped to remove some mud from my face, wiping away any sludge that could fall into my eyes. "You alright? It didn't hurt you at all, did it?"

I shook him away, "Of course I'm not alright. I'm stuck in a strange land, trudging through dangerous dungeons against my will. Now I'm covered in this filth. Do you have any idea how long it is going to take to get this out?"

The Feraligatr gave me a soft smile, "You sound just like your mother," he said as he grunted back to his feet. "You know, I could help you wash off 'cause I assume you don't want to wash off in this river water.

"

With a snarl, I said, "Don't you dare even think about spitting on me."

Fabian held up his claws. "Ok, Ok, first of all it's not spitting. Second, a water type's attacks are made of the purest water. But I'll leave you to your own means."

As the feraligatr picked himself up, a new sound emerged over the rippling of the river. I turned my gaze to see Floatzel on the other side of the river laughing his stupid head off. He leaned against Eevee while wheezing out his last few chuckles before looking over and immediately howling into a new fit of laughter. He slipped and flopped to the ground, his chest heaving in gasps as he struggled for air.

"Ha ha ha, she… she … the mud… everywhere…." He stuttered before falling into another fit of giggles.

I snarled and stomped away, flinging off bits of mud with each step. When I finally got to a secluded area, I sat and began the painfully slow process of removing the filth with each pawful.

I watched the mud fall in painfully graceful arcs, seeing it splat into little clods on the ground. My eyes followed a chunk I had just removed from my mane when I saw it land next to a small cluster of odd, discolored mushrooms.

Staring at the fungus, I blinked, only for the mushrooms to blink at me in return, with large black eyes revealed to be more than spots.

I shrieked and let out a panicked burst of icy energy, falling onto my back while narrowly missing the fungus, freezing the ground beside them.

The mushrooms let out their own yelp and popped out of the earth, scurrying away on their stubby stem leg while yelling, "AAAAAAGH, PLEASE DON'T EAT ME."

In their flight, the newly revealed morelull ran straight toward Fabian, who deftly picked them up between two claws. The feraligatr gave the little mushroom a toothy grin, to which it cringed. "I promise I don't taste good," they whined, eyes fixed on Fabian's giant teeth.

Fabian gave a little chuckle, "You, little lad, are exactly who we are looking for." he said before his smile shifted away. "Do you have any idea how worried your parents are?"

With wide eyes, the morelull finally took in the adventurer team around them. Cautiously taking in the appearance of each member before returning their gaze to Fabian. "You're here to rescue me?"

The morelull's eyes watered, and they subsequently burst into tears. Fabian's expression softened, and he brought the little mushroom into a hug, gently patting their back while whispering comforting words.

Sandslash and the rest of the group rejoined Fabian on his side of the river, their paws sloughing through the mud. Floatzel still carried his Arceus-damned grin as he chuckled every time he looked over in my direction.

Fabian hefted the morelull into a more stable position and gave them a comforting smile. "Well then, it's time for us to bring you home little lad. How would you like to see your parents again?"

To that, the morelull nodded excitedly as they shifted themself into the crook of Fabian's arm. The morelull gave Fabian a happy smile before their eyes switched to me, and their face fell in confusion.

"What kind of ground-type pokemon is that?"

After returning to the village and receiving a few delightful buckets of well water, I stood relatively clean as I struggled to dry out my mane without it falling into a tangled mess. Morelull was received by their parents with open arms, a shiinotic, and a cradily grasping onto their child with a death grip.

Fabian was quick to shift any of the praise away from him and to the rest of Team Spire, citing their bravery and quick thinking. He graciously accepted the mission payment and bid the family goodbye. Walking over to me, he lowered himself and offered a kind smile. "Well. Ninetales, how'd it feel completing your first mission?"

I curled my lip, "I could not even imagine a worse experience." I snarled while yanking at a stubborn lock of hair.

With a soft grin, Fabian patted my shoulder, which I quickly shook off. "I get it, this is all new and difficult to understand, but things will get easier with time." The feraligatr said before gesturing towards the reunited family. "But it's all worth it in the end, I mean, just look how happy they are to be with each other again. I'm sure that's something you can relate to."

Sneering, I said, "I couldnt care less about those peasants. All I'm doing is just accomplishing a means to an end."

Fabian's face shifted away from his usual happy grin, switching to a more solemn look. "This is what your parents expect you to learn you know. They want you to understand the way these so called 'peasants' live and how they think. Without this knowledge, you can never expect to serve them propperly."

I scoffed and turned away, walking toward the trail leading back to the guild. Fabian is just like them, just like my parents. As I passed the family, they looked up and offered some words of thanks before returning to their embrace. I didn't even acknowledge them. They didn't matter.

All that matters is getting back onto my throne.