Summary: During the events of Part 4. Godfrey was suppose to be stationed outside of Nalzona. So, where was he during the investigation?

14th Red Ash Moon, 908

"If you run into any trouble, Godfrey will remain stationed near the town."

With his presence unneeded in the Echo Bell capital, it was decided that Godfrey should remain stationed outside of Nalzona in the event Luna's investigation team required his assistance. Though his ability to assist was limited given his nature, sticking close to the town in case of trouble was a serviceable use of his time.

He had just returned from dropping off Melissa's group and their supplies. He camped himself outside the town, laying in the grass with the wagon close by. It was mostly empty, save for his saddlebag and a crate of food reserved for him.

With the sun closing in around the horizon, the time for night would soon be upon him. He didn't plan on doing much else but sleeping and eating. Maybe he would even take a jog through the open grassland. He always had a fondness for walking and running. Anything to keep him moving. He prided himself on being the Foresters' transport, if only because he enjoyed the freedom of running.

It had been a long time since he actually ran. He couldn't do a whole lot of running in the Forbidden Forest due to the dense population of trees, and even his heavy galloping could draw attention to Fort Lucus if he wasn't careful. He couldn't exactly leave the forest either in case he was needed for emergency transport, though they always had Percival's Teleportation Corp for that.

Some often say being the Foresters' trusty steed was a lonely existence. He didn't even live in the fort since he was so heavy. He had to live in a hidden burrow underground. It seemed unfair for the Mudsdale, but he didn't mind. He grew up underground. He felt at home with the earth. He knew no one took him for granted. He was as happy as he could be, even if it felt like he had very few people to talk to.

He admired his teammates, but he was one of the few Pokémon who grew up in the Subterra Kingdom, and even then he had few to relate with. Hedwig was from an exiled clan, and Lucient wasn't Subterran. He just knew the language. But again, Godfrey didn't mind. He never considered himself lonely. He didn't care if he didn't have many friends to relate with.

He was perfectly content as was.

All he could ask for was to go on a run.

He missed running.

Freely running.

Running with all his heart.

As the mud horse felt himself drifting off to sleep, his ears perked up to a noise. Quiet chattering and whispers. Claws scratching gently across wood. Shuffling as if sneaking about.

He opened his eyes and subtly craned his neck. Gazing over his shoulder blades, he looked to his wagon and saw a trio of Pokémon digging around his food crate and his saddlebag. They consisted of an Orthworm, a Midday Lycanroc, and a Leafeon. They all appeared to be wearing ragged clothes and pieces of scrap metal like armor.

…Eh?

The Orthworm extended his hidden tendrils and scooped up piles of berries and wrapped meat. "{What a haul,}" he whispered. "{We'll be eating like kings soon enough.}"

The Leafeon snickered, taking a chomp out of a berry. "{I don't know what the king was so worried about. Forbidden from surfacing without express permission? What's the about?}"

The Lycanroc frowned. "{The king caught word of crooks misusing the upper tunnels last year. Something about aiding in a transport operation for some land skitters.}"

Orthworm groaned. "{It's not like we're associating with land skitters. We're just robbing one. Simple as that.}" He picked up the saddlebag and poked around inside. "{Now, let's see if there's anything valuable in—}"

"Ahem."

The thieves froze up, then slowly craned their heads back. Towering over the thieves (even the significantly longer Orthworm) was an irritated Godfrey. He leaned in close to the trio, snorting hot air in their faces.

"{Get out of my wagon. Now.}"

Their eyes widened. "{His accent!}" the Lycanroc gasped.

"{He's Subterran, too?!}" Leafeon shrieked.

Godfrey's brow furrowed. "{Get. Out.}"

Orthworm suddenly extended his tentacles and bonked Godfrey in the face. With the horse briefly stunned, he shouted, "{Retreat!}"

Godfrey shook his head and glared as the thieves raced off ahead. His eyes widened when he noticed the Orthworm still carrying his saddlebag. Rage filled the Mudsdale's heart, compelling him to break into a mad charge after the crooked thieves.

"{Give me back my bag!}" he roared.

The thieves raced to a patch of discolored grass and sunk below it. Godfrey skidded to a stop and saw it was a tunnel being quickly filled back up with dirt. Undeterred, he reared up on his hindlegs and stomped down on the ground, causing the earth to split open and reveal the tunnel hidden below.

"{Scoundrels!}" Godfrey skipped forward and dove down into the tunnel.

The further he traveled down the tunnels, the harder it was to see. No natural light existed below the surface, and only those who lived within the confines of the underground could ever hope to adapt to the conditions. The thieves, once believing they had a solid chance of escaping punishment, came to realize the horrors of their mistake.

Godfrey crashed through their exit and landed inside a more spacious tunnel, never once slowing in the chase. It had been some time since he was underground, so his vision wasn't what it once was, but he kept track of the three blurs shifting in the darkness as they fled him.

"{Give me back my bag!}" Godfrey roared, his voice booming as fiercely as his thunderous gallop. The tunnels shook with each stomp of his hooves, causing its firmly made structure to loosen rubble atop his and the thieves' heads.

"{What the hell's his problem?!}" the Leafeon shouted. "{All we did was steal his bag!}"

"{Oh great Groudon, he's going to smash us into rubble!}" the Lycanroc yelped.

No matter how fast the thieves thought they were, using the twists and turns of the tunnel to escape Godfrey, the Mudsdale proved unshakable. He navigated the tight turns with impeccable skill, not once letting up on his speed. They dared to look over their shoulders, realizing the horse was even closing in on them. While they were running on ragged breaths, he didn't show any signs of exhaustion. One could even say…

He wasn't even running at full speed!

"{I told you going against the king's orders was a bad idea!}" Leafeon shouted.

"{You were dissing the man not even five minutes ago!}" Lycanroc yelled.

Orthworm, as he hurriedly slithered between his two accomplices, looked back and took note of Godfrey's squinty-eyed expression. Realizing what was up, he smirked. "{Looks like our earth brother has been mingling with land skitters for too long.}"

"{Huh?!}" his accomplices gasped in confusion.

"{Don't stop running!}" The metallic worm suddenly plunged below the tunnel, leaving the duo to continue fleeing from the unstoppable horse.

Godfrey picked up a bit more speed and gained on the two crying thieves, both begging for their lives even as they continued kicking their legs. Snorting in irritation, he closed in and prepared to bite down on their necks to catch them. However, as his eyesight slowly adjusted to the dark, he finally noticed one of the thieves had gone missing.

Huh?

This single thought posed as a critical distraction. With his attention not focused on his path ahead, his hoof finally stomped down on a weakened section of earth and collapsed through. However, it proved far worse than the Mudsdale imagined as the entire tunnel floor came undone under him.

He let out a startled neigh as his entire body flipped forward with his back aiming down the impossibly deep pit. He stretched his legs out and tried to catch the sides of the pit, but even those sections of earth collapsed under the pressure. The ground fell apart from the walls with the horse barely able to keep himself up.

He glared back up the pit just as the Orthworm reemerged, munching on some dirt. He extended a tentacle and waved down mockingly at the slipping Mudsdale. "{Welcome home, land skitter.}"

Unable to support his weight any longer, the pit collapsed around his hooves and sent him plummeting down into the darkness. Godfrey did not let out a scream or shout as he disappeared down the pit.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and braced himself for what would surely be a nasty landing.

Godfrey wasn't sure how far he fell down, but he must've passed out after hitting the bottom. He likely fell down a pitfall designed for such emergency escapes, known only by the residents of the underground. As he came to, he fell the earth under his side. It was warm. Really warm. Had he fallen so far down that he…?

Am I…in the Underworld?

As he tried to collect him, something—or someone—kicked him in the side. He nearly retaliated until he felt a sharp piece of metal touching his back. "{Identify yourself, stranger.}" Based on the voice, it belonged to a commanding woman, perhaps a soldier of Subterra.

Godfrey finally opened his eyes, his suspicions of his location confirmed when he saw the pools of magma in his line of vision. He saw some magma-dwelling Pokémon bathing in the superheated pools, staring at him with disdain and suspicion.

He eventually craned his neck and acknowledged the soldier interrogating him. It was a Tinkaton, and a rather young one contrasting the firm tone. She couldn't be more than twenty by his guess. As he expected of Subterran military, she wore scrap metal armor over her body as opposed to traditional armor above ground, though hers was what he expected from the tinkering creatures.

She wore a helmet with a metal guard covering her mouth, vaguely resembling that of an Aggron's head. Her left arm bracer was covered in spikes resembling that of a Ferrothorn's hide. The repurposed shield of an Aegislash was attached to her right bracer. Her breastplate was a reflective dark metal made from a Corviknight's armored hide.

The hammer was the centerpiece of her appearance. While resembling the traditional style most Tinkaton aspired to, hers came equipped with additional attachments. Retracted across the sides of the hammerhead were metal feathers from a Skarmory. The back of the hammer possessed a golden axe head which he assumed to be made from melted and reforged blade shards from several Bisharp. There were a few mechanisms hidden along the hammer, making him wonder about their intended purpose.

Seeing him awake, the Tinkaton settled her hammer over her shoulder and glared. "{Speak. Are you Subterran or land skitter?}"

"…" Godfrey slowly picked himself up, shaking off the lingering dizziness in his head, and peered up at the ceiling. He saw the hole he fell through, though it was being patched up by some Pokémon. He snorted, thinking back to the three thieves who outwitted him.

The soldier grew impatient, clenching down on her hammer. "{Speak, or else.}"

"…" Godfrey closed his eyes and sighed. "{Highborn.}"

"{Hmm?}"

"{I am a Highborn.}"

This only seemed to garner more suspicion from the soldier. "{Highborns aren't permitted to be this far down in the Underworld.}"

"…" Godfrey continued to stare at the hole in the ceiling.

The soldier, noticing his staring, looked up as well. "{Based on what our tunnel constructors informed me of, you came crashing down through a secret fault. Is this true?}"

"…" He nodded.

"{You shouldn't be messing with the secret faults. We have those built in for emergencies.}"

"…" He huffed. "{Not my fault. Chasing thieves.}"

She raised her brow. "{Thieves? Are there land skitters invading our tunnels?}"

"{No. Subterrans. Three.}"

The soldier glared, suddenly looking irritated, but not at him. "{Three? Who were they?}"

"{Lycanroc. Leafeon. Orthworm.}"

Her glare deepened. "{An Orthworm?}" She tightened her grip and growled. "{That idiot. Of course.}"

"…" Godfrey shot her a confused glare.

"{With the king's orders forbidding everyone to use the highborn tunnels, we've gotten word of thieves misusing them. One of our sources tells us of a former tunnel constructor who had been taking advantage of the lockdown. Feldspar, an Orthworm.}"

"…" Godfrey glared back at the ceiling before standing up.

The Tinkaton glared. "{You plan on hunting them down, don't you?}"

"…" He sighed. "{They took my bag.}"

"{I'll hunt them down. This isn't a job for bystanders.}"

He huffed and started walking to a nearby tunnel. "{Don't stop me.}"

"…" She sighed and followed after him. "{I suppose you'll need an escort to get back to higher grounds. As long as you don't slow me down, I'll help you get your bag back.}"

"{…Thank you.}" He stopped and knelt to the ground. "{Hop on.}"

She chuckled. "{You're awfully courteous for a highborn.}" She hopped onto his back. "{Forgive me if I'm too much to carry.}"

"{Nothing to me.}" He stood up and proceeded into the tunnel ahead.

"{Alfhild.}"

He glanced back at her. "{Hmm?}"

"{2nd Rank Magma Warrior. Alfhild Lind, at your service.}"

15th Red Ash Moon, 908

The journey up from the Underworld would take some time, especially with the search to find the trio of troublesome thieves. With his eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness, Godfrey moved far more confidently through the passageways while Alfhild guided him on where to turn. The trip mostly conducted in silence, which wasn't an issue for Godfrey. His attention was focused primarily on retrieving his stolen bag.

Alfhild lay across Godfrey's back with her hammer safely secured under her. Hands tucked behind her head, she stared with increasing boredom at the ceiling. Godfrey sensed her fidgeting. One aspect of long trips he also grew accustomed to was acting as an ear for talkative types. He did so for Adenine whenever she expressed her relationship woes or anxieties.

With a loud snort, he asked, "{You want to talk?}"

She groaned. "{Just focus on walking.}"

"{You want to talk.}"

"…" Alfhild groaned again and pinched between her eyes. "{It was supposed to be my day off. I was relaxing in the magma pools to get a good soak in, and I just happen to be the closest soldier when you came crashing down. I should be soaking in magma, not hunting thieves.}"

"{…Oh.}"

She shrugged. "{Don't take it personally. Maybe King Obsidian will give me extra time off for rounding up Feldspar. I like my job and all, but I prefer to take the luxuries when I get them. Ever had a relaxing magma dip before?}"

"{Highborn.}"

"{Oh, right. You wouldn't have the same resistance to high temperatures like Lowborns.}" Alfhild shrugged. "{What does a highborn like you do for a living?}"

"…" Godfrey narrowed his eyes. "{Not much.}"

"{You're not much of a talker, are you?}"

"…"

She waved it off. "{I'd say sticking your neck out just to get a bag back is stupid, but I'd probably do the same thing if I had my books stolen.}"

Godfrey raised his brow. "{Books?}"

She smirked. "{A priceless commodity this far down, huh? Reading might not be a big deal down here, but I'm a collector of legends. Mortal champions facing off against gods to prove their superiority! That is why I became a soldier! I want to embody the ideals of my idol, Siegfried!}"

"{Oh?}"

Alfhild leapt up and posed dramatically. "{Mighty Siegfried, slayer of the Great Magma Serpent! He is a warrior who stares monsters down and beats them senseless with his unfathomable strength!}" She groaned. "{Everyone always underestimates us Tinkaton because we're weaker than we act, but we keep pushing and innovating! The more that time passes, the greater our strength becomes! We are the true warriors of the new era!}"

"…" Godfrey looked ahead. "{You like legends?}"

Alfhild chuckled with an awkward blush. "{It's silly, I know. Don't tell anyone, but I've made a different set of armor purely to invoke the feeling of Siegfried. I…sometimes like to dress up as him.}"

Godfrey recalled a memory some weeks ago when Petra let it slip she accidentally flew in on their incomparable team leader…putting on a rather childish performance of his own in private. The thought made him snort.

Alfhild glared. "{What's so funny?}"

"Heh…" Godfrey shook his head. "{Nothing.}"

With rests during their trip up the tunnel system, Godfrey and Alfhild soon found their way to the general area where the Mudsdale fell from. Alfhild took the lead by searching out the tracks left behind and following them. She would occasionally find crumbs from the food they stole from Godfrey, and the smell of fruit was palpable in the air.

Godfrey stepped lightly as to not make the tunnels shake, hanging close behind the experienced soldier. They spent about an hour following the tracks and making guesses as to where they ran off. Alfhild would check the walls for signs of tampering, likely for a secret hideout.

Their searching soon led them to a network of tunnels, one that would break an inexperienced soldier from the sheer number of routes to take in pursuit. Alfhild showed no such wariness and conducted her search of the area, inspecting the walls for clues.

She reached her hand out and touched a spot on the wall. Unlike the rest of the tunneling network, the surface was unrefined and brittle. It was a hastily made wall that any Subterran could easily notice. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be an issue, but with three criminals on the loose…

"{Hmm.}" Alfhild twirled her hammer and stepped back. "{Wake up, surface divers!}"

She swung the hammer hard into the wall, causing it to crumble down in one shot. Godfrey approached the gaping hole and glared inside.

As the soldier rightfully deduced, the trio of thieves that robbed the Mudsdale lay inside a miniature bunker/campsite, nestled away from the prying eyes of their fellow highborns. Gathered around their stolen loot, they shrieked after the wall came down and trembled as Alfhild stomped into their camp with her hammer resting over her shoulder.

"{Feldspar,}" Alfhild addressed, glaring the Orthworm down intimidatingly.

He gulped and backed away into the wall. "{Gah, uh…Magma Warrior Lind. I, uh…I was just doing a routine inspection of the tunnels—}"

"{Save it. The tunnels have been closed off to all highborns. You're not permitted to be using the tunnels, and I have countless witnesses pointing you to illegal usage.}"

Feldspar winced. "{C-Come on, what's the big deal? We steal from the surface all the time.}"

"{King Obsidian forbids usage of those tunnels after it has been discovered highborns have been misusing the tunnels to perform trade deals with the surface dwellers. The act of fraternizing with the surface is a punishable offence, and so is breaking the king's law.}"

Feldspar sneered. "{Again, what's the big deal?! We stole their gold coins and other metals for ourselves. We're not doing deals with land skitters!}"

Alfhild growled. "{That doesn't matter. Until this matter is resolved, no one without the king's permission is to access the surface tunnels. You're all under arrest.}"

Leafeon gulfed. "{I-I can't go to prison! I'll die of the heat down there!}"

Lycanroc clasped his paws together. "{Have mercy!}"

Godfrey let himself into the campsite and snorted. "{Give me my bag.}"

Feldspar, however, wouldn't go down easily. He snatched up the Mudsdale's saddlebag and turned to the walls. "{You may think you're some fancy soldier, Lind, but you can't maneuver through the earth like the rest of us. Boys, let's go!}"

Though clearly scared out of their minds, they followed their leader's example and burrowed into the earth's walls. Alfhild lunged across the campsite and delivered a mighty blow to the wall, shaking up the tunnels and startling the fleeing trio. The walls cracked and split open, and she could hear the group collapsing out of their tunnels down to the next passageway below.

"{They just had to make this difficult.}" She threw herself back onto Godfrey. "{Think you can follow them?}"

Godfrey cracked his neck and raised his forelegs. "{Let's rock.}"

16th Red Ash Moon, 908

The chase was extensive. In between rest periods and navigation, Godfrey and Alfhild rushed through the twisting turns of the underground tunnels, keeping constant pressure with the three thieves. Through Godfrey's tenacity and Alfhild's knowledge of the tunnels, there was nowhere for the thieves to flee.

The nonstop chase wore down on Leafeon and Lycanroc's stamina the fastest, both unable to keep running as their legs burned from the unending exertion. Leafeon looked ahead to Feldspar, who was managing to keep at his usual pace despite also looking winded himself. "{Feldspar! I…I-I can't…lungs…on fire!}"

Feldspar shot a glare back at them, "{You two are slowing me down! I'm not getting caught for this!}" He jumped and dove under the earth, leaving his comrades behind.

"{You can't just—}" Lycanroc tried to yell, but yelped as Alfhild's hammer came dangerously close to his head. "AH!"

Alfhild twirled her hammer in her hand. "{That damnable Feldspar. Thinking he can escape.}"

Lycanroc clenched his teeth. "{S-Screw this! I can't keep running!}" He dug his heels down and spun himself to a stop. "{Stone Edge!}" He slammed his paws down and sent forth a wave of rising rock straight toward his pursuers. "{I'll pin you both your corpses to the wall!}"

Leafeon gasped. "{I don't want to get charged with murder, too—}"

However, Lycanroc's desperate attempt to end the chase was all in vain. Godfrey, with his impenetrable hide, smashed through the rocks without a hint of resistance. The flying rock startled Lycanroc, leaving himself open for Godfrey to lunge forward and bring down both his front hooves on top of the wolf, crushing him into the floor.

Leafeon shrieked and took off running again, albeit slower as his legs burned even hotter. "{Got to…get out of here!}"

Alfhild glared at the fleeing grass fox. "{Where do you think you're going?}" She reared her hammer back, channeling a sparkling pink wind around it. "{Alfheim Cannon!}"

She threw the hammer straight down the tunnel. It picked up speed the further it traveled, catching up with Leafeon in mere seconds. The grass fox, try as he might, couldn't escape the flying hammer as it collided with the back of his head and smashed his face through the floor, dragging a few meters before coming to a stop. His body twitched under the heavy metal.

Alfhild jumped off Godfrey's back and snapped her fingers, commanding the hammer to rise in the same sparkling winds bound around it and catapulting back to her awaiting hand. She supported the hammer over her shoulder and glared down at the defeated Lycanroc once Godfrey moved his hooves away.

"{You both are under arrest,}" she growled.

Lycanroc made no reply, for his mind, much like his body, had been pulverized to mush. Alfhild kicked his side a couple times until she heard the wolf groan.

"{Meh, he'll live.}" She glared back down the tunnel. "{Felspar gave us the slip. I'll have to take these two to the Underworld prisons before I continue after him.}"

Godfrey turned away and walked back to the metal worm's escape tunnel. "{You go. I'll hunt.}"

Alfhild raised her brow. "{On your own?}"

"…" He nodded.

"…" She sighed and scratched behind her head. "{You are one of the strangest highborns I've met, stranger.}" She picked up Lycanroc and slung him over her shoulder. "{Bring him to the Underworld prison once you capture him.}"

Godfrey nodded. He raised his forelegs and stomped down on the floor, widening Feldspar's escape tunnel. After stretching his legs, Godfrey leapt down the tunnel and continued the chase.

17th Red Ash Moon, 908

"{Why don't you just give up already?!}"

Godfrey's chase through the underground eventually led him to tracking down Feldspar, who he found resting to catch his breath. He only had a couple hours to rest while Godfrey hadn't truly rested beyond a couple hours sleep here and there. However, it became clear to Feldspar the differences in their strength.

The Orthworm panicked as he felt Godfrey gaining on him the longer they dragged out the chase. "{L-Look, fine! I'll give you your bag back! Just leave me alone, you freak!}"

Godfrey snorted. "{You wasted my time.}"

"{For the love of—}" Feldspar dove ahead and crashed through the rock walls, digging his way to the other side.

Godfrey rammed headfirst through the weakened earth and leapt out into the open. He felt a blast of heat against his body as he and the Orthworm entered a magma chamber filled with pits of magma and crafting equipment. The workers staggered as Feldspar and Godfrey charged past them.

Feldspar winced as the heat instantly got to him, nearly taking him down from his exhaustion. Sensing he wasn't going to last long in the chase, he finally gave in and stopped, facing down the charging Mudsdale. "{Fine! If it's a fight you want—}" He reared his head back before firing a barrage of stones from his mouth. "{Rock Blast!}"

Godfrey tucked his head in and charged through the bombardment of stone. He came in close to tackling the steel worm, but he dove underground before he could be crushed. Godfrey dragged his hooves down and stopped, peering around the magma chamber for where the Orthworm will emerge.

"{Fullbody Steel Slam!}"

The ground burst open next to Godfrey where Feldspar came charging out, his body coated in a steely sheen, ramming his head into the horse's unguarded side. He knocked Godfrey toward a magma pit, but the Mudsdale caught himself before he fell in.

"{You're a highborn, aren't you?!}" Feldspar taunted. "{That means you don't have the natural heat resistance of the other Ground-Types down here! Fullbody Steel Slam!}" He launched forward again, ready to take the horse into the magma.

Godfrey, however, didn't move and let Feldspar ram into him. Unlike the last attack, Feldspar's body crumpled against the sturdy horse and his tense muscles. He bounced back, skipping off the ground and nearly toppling over the startled workers.

"Aaaaaagh…" Feldspar picked himself up and swayed dizzily. "{W-What the?}"

An orange glow flashed over Godfrey's body, further tensing and improving his muscles. He cracked his neck a couple times and walked toward the fallen Orthworm. "{Pathetic.}"

Feldspar shook off his dizziness and growled with increasing frustration. "{Why? What's so special about this stupid bag that you've been chasing me for days?! What the hell are you?!}" He rushed down the horse again, extending his retracted tendrils. "{Partial Steel Pummeling!}" With fists alight in a steely sheen, he unleashed a storm of punches against Godfrey.

Godfrey took the attacks without wavering, as if being attacked by cotton balls. He grunted as a red aura built up around his body. "{At first, I just wanted my bag back. But now, I must thank you.}"

"{Eh—}"

Godfrey brought his hoof down, smashing Feldspar's head into the ground. The steel worm bounced back up in the recoil, where Godfrey's bag slipped off his body. He grabbed it with his teeth, then spun around with his hindlegs reared back.

"{Despite you being such a pitiful runner, I felt…nostalgic running through the Subterra Kingdom again.}" He took a deep breath, then whispered, "{Retribution.}"

He unleashed an unrestricted kick to the Orthworm's body. The explosive force of his hooves connecting with Feldspar's limp body released a devastating shockwave that crushed the earth beneath them and shook the magma pits, splashing up molten rock like geysers. Feldspar went flying across the chamber so fast that he disappeared as soon as even the most attentive of observers blinked.

A wall exploded open following the retaliatory attack, and all eyes fell onto a massive crater in the chamber wall where Feldspar's crushed and dented body lay pinned inside. Blood dripped from his mouth, and a stream of low groans breathed out from him as his consciousness fled.

Godfrey relaxed his muscles, then tossed his saddlebags back onto his back. "That…for calling me land skitter."

18th Red Ash Moon, 908

Alfhild pulled down the barred door from the ceiling and locked it onto the floor. She stepped back and dusted her hands, admiring the state of the three thieves now groaning and recovering inside their new cells. "{Be thankful the king is in a merciful mood, because such actions as this would've yielded higher punishment.}"

Feldspar weakly lifted his head and glared at her. "{Sh…Shut up…}" He groaned and collapsed back onto the floor.

She rolled her eyes before turning and saluting to Godfrey. "{I suppose thanks are in order. Your help was most appreciated, stranger. I never expected a highborn to be so law abiding.}"

Godfrey shook his head. "{Just…wanted my bag back.}"

"{Fair is fair. Even so, you saved me a lot of trouble and resources to track these idiots down.}" She knocked on the cell bars, irritating the sleeping thieves. "{They'll probably be joining our other prisoners in the mines. That should teach them a thing or two.}"

"…" Godfrey sighed.

"{Something wrong?}"

"{No, just…}" He shook his head and turned away. "{I should get going.}"

Alfhild grabbed his tail before he could leave. "{Hold on a moment, you did a real service for the kingdom today. King Obsidian would like to thank you personally for your service. It's a real honor to be acknowledged by the king.}"

He shook his head. "{I can't. I should really get going.}"

Alfhild tilted her head. "{How come?}"

"{Just…can't stay.}" Godfrey closed his eyes for a moment. "{Surface dwellers…aren't so bad.}"

"{Huh?}"

"{Times have changed since the days of Subterra's formation. Good people exist in this era. Good people.}"

"…" Alfhild frowned. "{Where is this coming from all of a sudden?}"

"{…Who knows?}" Godfrey stretched his legs and went on his way.

"…" She crossed her arms and glared. "{You never did tell me why you were so invested in getting your bag back. Is there something special inside it?}"

"…" Godfrey didn't look back and continued his way out of the dungeon, making way for his true home: the surface.

18th Red Ash Moon, 908 – Night

The journey back up to the surface took him all the way to nightfall. He climbed out of the tunnel he first used to chase the thieves, then stomped the ground so that it would be filled back in with rubble. After days of nonstop chasing, the Mudsdale let out a loud yawn and walked back to his wagon, which had thankfully been left untouched.

After all the excitement he endured, he was in for a long overdue sleep.

He bent down and rested atop his bent legs, finally letting his muscles rest from nonstop use. He let out one last yawn before closing his eyes and letting his mind drift, hoping to put the last few days behind him.

"Hey, Godfrey!"

The Mudsdale opened one eye as Zephora came bouncing over to him. His eye widened in confusion when he saw the Maractus was missing her right arm, though she didn't seem all that bothered by it. He must've missed a lot in his absence.

"I was wondering what you were up to," she said. "We could've really used your help in the fight earlier."

"Uh…"

She waved it off. "Nah, it's fine. You were probably sleeping. I don't blame you. You do so much for us already. You deserve your rest. Not like it wasn't anything we couldn't handle." She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry we haven't been checking in on you. The last few days have been pretty busy."

"…It fine."

"That's good. Did anything happen while we were gone?"

"…No. Nothing happened."

She nodded. "Alright. Well, we've got places to be soon. We'll be leaving tomorrow. Do you think you'll be rested up to travel tomorrow?"

Godfrey let out a yawn, but nodded. "Yes."

"Cool. Thanks a lot. You're the best!"

"Hmm."

Zephora turned and bounced away. "I'll let you get some sleep. See you in the morning."

"Hmm." Godfrey went back to resting his head on the ground, but paused for a moment. Feeling a bit nostalgic, he reached over to his saddlebag and dug his snout inside.

Zephora stopped when she heard the Mudsdale rifling through his bag and looked back. She tilted her head, catching a glimpse of something laying in front of him. "Oh, that looks nice. What was that for?"

A soft smile stretched over Godfrey's face as he gazed down at the golden medal. "Something. Something from past."

Meanwhile…

"{WHAT IN THE NAME OF SIEGFRIED!}"

Curious as to who the mysterious Mudsdale was, Alfhild paid a visit to the Subterra Kingdom's recordkeeper, believing someone of his power had to have some notability within their underground system. She expected him to be a respectable magma warrior retired from service based on his determined attitude to catch the dastardly criminals. However, what she ended up learning threw her for a loop after the record keeper finished explaining everything they knew about the Mudsdale known simply as Godfrey.

One, he was a defector of the Subterra Kingdom, meaning she just let a known criminal escape her grasp.

And two…he was the only highborn in Subterran history to become champion of the Subterran Underground Marathon!