IV.
The other adventurers hurried along through the field as Audrey and Madoka stayed back. The maid did not mind, since she was not in any rush at all to get into more trouble. She noticed that the scar of land was further away from them and that they exited from a different route. That crater was the reason they were in any trouble at all.
"I know, I know," Audrey sighed. She stopped to look at the damage she caused. "They think it's a monster attack, but really it's me."
Is there a difference? Madoka wondered.
"Apparently, the God responsible for red strands is the God of Language," Audrey pulled her notebook out. "The power of Domineering magic, usually cast by spoken chants depends on the language and the bloodline of the individual. Even if cast by a thought, the blood in the veins and the language they thought to cast it in still affects the spell. So like, a Noble is strong but a Royal is the strongest!"
"You used the language of the Gods to make that crater," Madoka observed. "And you're a Royal... No wonder why it was so powerful."
"Luxgor said that it depended on the individual, too," Audrey tucked the notebook away. "Apparently, Ice, Fire, Wind and Lightning are all elements inside the school of Domineering magic. The concept called Ego depends on what element someone can use. Isn't that fascinating?"
She turned to face Madoka. The maid could only give a blank stare in response, since her stance on magic has not wavered. Audrey shrugged and looked offended.
"Well, I thought the magic was cool," she muttered. "Spells have tiers, like up to Tier 5 or something as the strongest. And Lightning is the strongest element! The more I think back on what, ahem, the scholar told me, the more I know I am definitely in some kind of videogame."
"So that bear was casting the most strongest magic?" Madoka thought back to that fight. Roōon, the World Bear, she remembered them describing it as if it was a legendary being. Too bad for them, she scoffed. Its skull was inside of Audrey's portal. "I don't want to know what tier your magic fits in."
"No," Audrey scratched her chin. "The bear did not cast any magic, since it was already dead. The black parasite that controlled it cast magic, but it wasn't Domineering magic since, you know, bears can't talk. It was using some different kind of magic, probably from the Cuckoo itself."
"The God of Tomorrows, you mean," Madoka instinctively corrected her. Audrey looked at her oddly, but nodded.
"Yeah, the God of Tomorrows," she sighed, but looked contentedly ahead. The city stood tall behind her as she looked at Madoka and smiled. For a moment, the two were surrounded by a vibrant sea of flowers with the wind pushing each other's short hair onward. "Anyways, George and Boris are waving at us. Let's go!"
She moved towards the path but her glance lingered on Madoka for a moment before she took the first steps towards their next journey.
"You two are back!" Boris, Guard 1, exclaimed. "In one piece, no less!"
"You idiot!" George, Guard 2, snapped. "In less than one piece, they wouldn't be here, now would they?"
Audrey chuckled, while Madoka greeted them with a silent nod. The guards were distracted by their bickering to notice them walking past them. The town was clear of snow and the sun dipped the rain-slickened streets in a shining reflection. Perfectly chilly, she mused. It was the middle of Spring, after all.
"So, according to the Guild Master guy you're a really popular girl," Audrey chirped. She tried to stomp on a puddle, but Madoka stopped her. "We should talk to the clothes lady first."
"Lady Saze," the maid corrected her. "Use proper names, Audrey."
"Nae waaah, you're still working?" Audrey groaned. "We just got out of a terrible side quest. Speaking of that, I wonder if we get paid for that or if it's just another unpaid internship gig. Tch! We'll see the guild after visiting the clothes lady— er, Lady Saze."
"For some reason, I feel more nervous going to the Lady's shop than fighting the dragon," Madoka grumbled. She did not want to wear anything nice and certainly not anything fancy, recalling the rows of nice fabrics for Nobles behind the shop's windows. She was not fit for such clothes!
"Perhaps we should go to the Guild instead," Madoka pouted, but soon they found themselves in front of Lady Saze's illustrious shop.
"Don't be that way!" Audrey twirled. She paused before opening the door. "Besides— I think you will like it!"
The door's handle had an ornate bell that jingled as her hand latched onto it. Madoka wondered if the girl was up to something, and how she had the time if she did. For now, the warmth of waxen candle and crackling blaze on a hearth wrapped her in an embrace.
"Welcome, welcome!" A familiar and elderly voice called out. "Ah! It's you two! I have been waiting for you two! Especially you!"
Lady Saze pointed a tough, red and scaly hand at Madoka. From a glance, it would be difficult to tell if the Lady sewed or made her own clothes with her tough exterior. She watched as the woman withdrew articles of clothing covered by decorative draping. She realized that there was quite a lot of dresses beneath the fabric and felt nervous.
"These," she handed the package to Madoka. "Are for you!"
"What are these?" Madoka felt the clothes. As her hands ran up the side of one of the dresses, a familiar smooth and silky feel graced her fingers. A black ribbon? She immediately peeled it off. "These are maid uniforms! To the dressing room!"
She dragged a questioning Audrey towards the dressing room with great haste. Lady Saze accompanied the girls in, but Madoka already stripped down and was in the process of putting on a uniform. The dark fabric, deceptively silky and delicate, was tough as the padded robes she already wore. It was clean and covered Madoka's unworthy self perfectly. This was a far greater reward than any golden trinket the Guild might offer. She noticed a mirror inside the room and checked herself. Audrey's beautiful and diminutive face peered from behind her as she admired the craftsmanship.
"How long has it been since you last wore one of these?" Audrey asked in English, ignoring Lady Saze's presence. Though she knew the woman did not know the Gods' language, she remained silent in this intimate moment. "Since we got here? No..."
"Not since we crossed the mountains," Madoka responded in the same language. The uniform was not in the same Fiara style as the ones back in the Palace, but she supposed her days serving the kingdom were long over anyways. These new ones were much more rugged, but she wanted to forget those long days. "Since we climbed down the Wind King's Hall."
"That long, eh?" Audrey stared at the flames from the hearth. The somber mood lingered over the flames for a moment, but then the princess switched to Noble with a smile. "Happy birthday, I guess. Or Maid Day, maybe?"
"It's not my birthday," Madoka grumbled, but still threw on her robes over her new uniform. The dragon lady cleared her throat, seemingly unbothered by their change of language. "Thank you, Lady Saze."
"You are welcome, dear," she withdrew more boxes from shelves. "And you two are still lightly dressed for this weather! Take these, take these!"
"More cloaks?" Audrey asked. Madoka allowed the lady to pile many boxes on top of her arms, until she could no longer see in front of her. "H-How much will this cost?"
"No payments necessary!" Lady Saze scoffed. "I heard from the Guild of your deeds in the Circle of the Labyrinth! These clothes shall keep you from getting claimed by its tremors!"
"T-Thank you, Lady Saze," Madoka mumbled. Audrey tried to jump up and reach the top of the boxes she carried, but could not. As they prepared to leave, Lady Saze stopped them.
"I have contacts in Gladeban and the Capital," Lady Saze told them. "I have informed them of your arrival soon, so ask them for any assistance in all things dresses! They would love to work on you, girl."
Madoka gulped. She had an odd feeling that the Lady was referring to her, although she could not see her from behind the tower of boxes. Audrey simply gave a nod and helped Madoka out the shop.
"Jeez, this is what it must be like going in a shopping spree for designer clothing," she sighed. Other passersby gawked at the apparent tower, but they quickly veered in an alleyway to deposit the clothes into Audrey's portal. "Next stop is, uh, the Artisan Guild! Let's go!"
The Artisan Guild was a massive dome structured fortress residing in the middle of Livertorjan. It was carved within the hill the rest of the town sat on, prompting Audrey to mutter about realizing that the natural resources here must be the reason people settled here in the first place. It was true that they followed the river from the east outside of what she found out was named the Arcadian Forest, where they got ambushed by that fat noble, but even the river was quite a distance from this town.
As imposing as the Dome of the Artisan's Guild was, Audrey strode through the smog-filled doors with confidence, while Madoka was concerned with the dirtiness of the whole place. She shook out of it. If they were to be true adventurers then she should not be adverse to small things like ash and dust, even if the prospect of getting future stains on her new clothes irked her.
The Guild was larger on the inside. A massive furnace, presumably the source of the smoke they have seen rising in the air from a distance, roared with a devouring blaze. Rows of open gates allowed the various smiths to feed their projects to its heat at one time. Audrey's eyes were alight, both with the furnace's fires and wonder. There were other machines, most notably one machine consisting of two massive slabs of rocks swinging like a pendulum and colliding against each other with a thunderous crash.
She realized that this Artisan Guild was simply a glorified smithy. Beyond the busy blacksmiths, Madoka could see many Knotting strands rushing and turning into sparks. Certain men were binding the strands together, and weaving their magic into earth mounds before them. As the strands linked their chains around the piles, they grew erratic until the men made complex movements to weave them back into the piles of dirt. There were mages in a smithy?
"Whoa!" Audrey gasped over the noise. "This place is awesome! What do you make of this place, Madoka?"
Madoka found it odd that mages were working in a place like this. These were no ordinary mages, she observed. They were sturdy and rugged men, seemingly binding the electrified strands with great effort. At last, the piles became enveloped in Knotting energy. After the glowing stopped, the men once again made more movements with their arms like hands on a clock. The mound of earth shrunk into metal.
"I like it," she grunted. She meant it. The earth's transformation into metal was beautiful to her. The mages' newly formed ingots were glinting in the Knotting magic escaping into the atmosphere and in the roaring flames, before tossed on a conveyor belt to move to some more men holding hammers. "I really do!"
"I'm glad you two like my shop, Iron rankers!" A loud man's laughter bellowed behind Madoka. She turned around to see the tall and muscular form of a familiar face.
"Guild Master Koj!" She greeted him. Koj, however, laughed. His eyepatch lifted as he did, revealing a small gemstone beneath it. A magic stone? The maid did not dare to question it. Audrey was gawking at something else entirely, her eyes drawn to something he was carrying. It was true, Madoka did not notice it at first, but realized in his strong arms rested a strange creature, adorned in majestic white feathers untouched by the smoke and dirt of this place. Its black and beady eyes shot back at Madoka, startling her.
"HONK!" The creature shouted at Madoka.
"What the goose!?" Audrey gawked at it. "Those are a thing in this world?! Nae waaah!"
"HONK! You who, WHO, Blessed One stand before me, honk, hark, no, honk!" The strange bird's flippers wobbled as its master held it as it honked at Madoka. She stared at it in the short moment while Koj was busy laughing. Was she going mad? She understood a bird!
"Anser, Anser domesticus," Audrey muttered. The bird did not even look perturbed, despite being shaken in Koj's arms. It held its orange beak up with an air of righteousness. Indeed, Madoka found the bird strangely captivating. "In this world? What the—"
"Ho? This is my friend," Koj regarded the bird, who kept its eyes upon Madoka. "It was sold to me by a Būthos merchant who was in town. I could not resist its charm, you know? Now come, come. I will explain to you the tiers of weapons, and hopefully you will begin to make your own weapons when you got some Silver on you, yes?"
He laughed, while the goose honked.
"You, Red haired, honk, HONK! Hark! For the God of Tomorrows wishes for you to be loved, lo, the Stars of the Future, of your Dreams and your Thoughts He is with you!" The bird kept rambling its gospel and praises towards Madoka. As Koj headed up rocky steps, the bird craned its neck to face her again and deliver her one final message. "HONK!"
"Huh," Audrey noticed the bird's attention towards Madoka. "That little fella seems to like you, Madoka! Can you, uh, do the thing?"
The girl's strange phrase, as Madoka interpreted, must have referred to her ability of reading animals' thoughts. How was she to explain she was talking to a goose!?
"Y-Yes, I can," Madoka replied. Audrey seemed satisfied with her response, but was visibly shaken by the goose anyways. "Is there something strange about that animal?"
"I-It's nothing!" Audrey stammered. Obviously, there was something, but what could possibly be so disturbing about a round, yet glorious and majestic goose? They followed Koj up to a balcony, that overlooked the operations going on down below.
"Okay, listen up!" Koj sat down on a rock and gestured to two other slabs for the girls to sit on. On the walls, a selection of weapons rested on a mounted rack ranging from powerful blades wreathed in Knotting magic to crudely neglected and helpless scraps of metal. "We, the Artisans, are here for two things: Glory in the name of Ceghinort's Blood and the pursuit of making the most godsdamned powerful weapons and armor ever seen."
He waved over to the hardworking people below. As his outstretched arm moved, goose underneath hopped off his lap and waddled over to Madoka. Its honking beak raised up to her knees, while the girls stared at it as Koj rambled.
"I am the Likeness of His Tomorrow, honk!" The goose declared. Audrey and Koj only heard honking, but Madoka heard its shrill voice clearly. "My face represents the Infinite Gaze. Behold, Blessed One! Honk!"
"Come on," Madoka whispered to it and pat her lap. "You can honk all you want later but we are talking now."
The goose considered her offer while Koj watched and laughed.
"Glory be the God of Tomorrow!" The animal hopped onto her lap and rested. Even though it was her idea, Madoka found it ridiculous that she had someone's heavy pet goose on her lap.
"What are you, a goose whisperer?" Audrey muttered.
"He has taken a liking to you!" Koj exclaimed. More like he has been preaching at me for some time, Madoka shrugged and rested her hands on the goose's soft feathers. It honked in delight, but uttered more things on the God of Tomorrows. Koj moved towards the rack and pointed at the most crudely made one. "An Iron Ranker's job is to work, explore the possibilities within each of the guild. This one found that he did not like crafting weapons, but later on made these next ones after persistence. A tier 1, a tier 2, and this—" He took the third sword, which glowed with a faint trace of magic etchings"— Is a tier 3 weapon."
The goose in her lap honked, while Madoka did not care about the weapon in Koj's hand. She looked at Audrey, who surprisingly was fascinated by the weapons. Upon noticing her glance, the princess crossed her arms and scoffed.
"I-It's not like I could use weapons," Audrey sighed. "I'm a support mage."
"The Forge of Knotting Magic, those golden chains and their sparks, is where the Child God of Knotting Stars crafts. The strands are from its eternal work, yearning to return back to its sleeping Master," Koj looked up through the dome's windows. "The Deity itself is huddle up in an impossibly large and divine star all the way in the Celestial. It sits well beyond the Twin Moons themselves. Still, we try to utilize the regular forge we have here in reverence to it. One must move precisely and feel every detail in their work, even the insignificant changes ignored will leave a flawed weapon. A sudden change in the heat could forge a blade or a disaster. I see you, red haired girl, would do well to visit the Artisan Guild to complete your training for Silver rank."
"I see," Madoka looked beyond the goose's head down at the mages. She did not see much, but could tell the men were quite dedicated. She surmised that with every movement dedicated towards moving the jagged Knotting strands, one small miscalculation could lead to the undoing of the tight ball of woven chains or worse.
"Medieval forging," Audrey muttered. She reached out to pet the goose upon Madoka's lap, but it honked in refusal. It only let her pat it, despite the odd preaching within its barking and hollering.
"This is a magic weapon, a Tier 3 weapon," Koj held the blade up. Runes were etched in its side, reminiscent of the fallen Esmerald captain that gave his axe to Madoka. She wondered if the axe Lord Leopride gave her was magical, but Koj looked at the women with a grin. "You two don't look impressed, as expected of true warriors such as yourself. Then here is this, a Tier 5 weapon."
Madoka watched as he held a larger blade, crafted from strange materials that glowed with an ominous red bundle of Knotting strands. It seemed to have a mind of its own, though Madoka could not reach its thoughts. She recognized the red aura — it matched the same ominous glow Armor's axe shined with.
"Now you're talking," Audrey examined the blade, but Koj simply placed it back on the rack. "Nae waaah! I wanna see, I wanna see!"
"You'd do better dabbling with the Truth Guild, little lady," he laughed. "They make wands, and do more than just research! Turn your monster parts in to our guild, and learn to make weapons and turn magical artifacts into the Truth Guild's Acquisitions team. Got it?"
"Hai," Audrey sighed. Koj clapped, immediately getting the goose's attention. It hopped off and retreated back into his arms, while shouting more things about the God of Tomorrows. "Does that... goose have a name?"
"My feathery companion here?" Koj laughed. "The Būthos said his name is Mizuchi. A fine name, I must say!."
"W-Water dragon?" Audrey stifled a laugh.
"I am the Honk-Herald of the God of Tomorrows!" Mizuchi honked. "Blessed One, spread the word! Honk!"
"I want out of here," Madoka grumbled. Audrey snapped out of her giggles.
"Right, off to the Guild you go," Koj shooed them out. "You've business in Gladeban, we've business here. Isn't it wonderful?"
"T-Thank you sir," Madoka bowed, before Audrey hastened them down and out of the Artisan Guild.
"Sheesh, it sure feels like we've just entered a job fair," Audrey held her hands behind her back in a relaxed posed as they walked. "Do you need to sit down? It looks like that goose must've set your mind on fire, huh? Still, I find it hard that geese are actually in this world."
"I don't need to sit," Madoka protested but her steps betrayed her. Audrey held her maid's hand and moved towards a bench in a secluded spot, far from other people. She felt embarrassed that she was the one taking care of her, and not the other way around, yet they sat all the same. "Apparently, my gift can fully speak with animals and not just goblins and trolls."
"Oh, that's so awesome! Wonder if that god leveled you up or something," Audrey sat down with her. Madoka realized they have not rested since earlier that morning. Was she growing soft? She chastised herself, and decided she would train when she got the chance. "The manas surrounding that goose, ah, Mizuchi seemed to be anomalous. Warped somehow, a color unlike the normal manas."
Madoka wondered what normal manas could look like, but quickly discarded that thought.
"It seems like it truly was isekai'd," she muttered. "Sorry, Madoka. All this info must be too much to handle. I know I'll have to record the notes when we get back to the inn."
"It's not that," Madoka sighed. "I do realize my weapons are quite crude. They couldn't crack open the troll's skin even if I swung with my full power. My fists could work but..."
"Eh?" Audrey looked at her, horrified.
"What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing," the princess sighed, and the white hexagonal beams of the portal manifested. "I think I'm overthinking the whole Knotting thing, but like, you know me. I always do that. If strands are from their associated god, then Knotting strands aren't really different. Perhaps the strands are like Substance strands, except the difference is that they are from inorganic things. I've watched your eyes. They follow the magic. From what I gathered, Knotting magic travels in air, along grounds and from everywhere."
"Can you not see them yourself?"
"No," Audrey shook her head. A sword's hilt slowly lowered from the portal. "Here."
The rest of the sword fell out, and Madoka realized it was from the dead adventurer leader that went into the goblin cave first. She was shocked that Audrey stole it. The sheath itself glowed red, along with the blade hosting a deep green hue itself. The magic infused within the sword was quite potent, although Madoka was not sure how to draw its power out. Upon seeing Audrey's confused look, she responded truthfully.
"I see the Knotting magic glow different shades depending on how powerful it is," she explained. Audrey's eyes lit up.
"Whoa, you see the loot's rarity? I'm so jealous!" She exclaimed, but piped down after Madoka glared at her. "That sword's gotta be epic quality, at least!"
"Are you certain that we can have this?"
"Uh, correction: You can have it," Audrey scoffed and crossed her arms. "The fallen adventurers are honored when one takes their weapons to carry on their legacy, no? I see no reason we can't use that dead guy's sword."
Madoka sighed. She recalled the Guild Masters telling them that, after all, but could not help but think Audrey was merely stretching their honor-bound tradition by some degree of exaggeration. Still, she drew the blade and pointed it skyward. A satisfying hiss sang in the air, and its vicious curved single-edged blade held a hunger within its aura. Both of the girls stared at the ominous blade before Madoka sheathed it.
"Maybe I-I'll save it for an emergency," Madoka laughed and stammered. Audrey joined in with her nervous laughter. "I'll craft an axe for myself later on."
"Y-Yeah! Perhaps the job fair wasn't so bad after all, hah!" Audrey chuckled. Still, Madoka strapped the blade to her waist and chucked the crude Esmerald sword in the portal. Soon, she would replace the shop axe with her own. "I think I remember some ways to forge up a nice weapon, from a certain nerd at my old school who liked anime shows. His daddy was a blacksmith enthusiast, but that Knotting stuff will be all you."
Madoka sat up and smiled, extending a hand to Audrey. She was pleased that her friend cared for her still. The Spring air ferried the fragrance from the flower fields in the west and the lovely scents embraced her. She also "failed" to mention their business at the Guild, for that could wait until tomorrow.
"Shall we go now, Audrey?"
Surprisingly, the girl wrapped a warm hand around Madoka's own, tracing the scars with her thumb.
"Let's head to the inn, Madoka, I'm beat!"
V.
Madoka walked quietly, while holding Audrey's hand. The princess stomped along without a care in the world. As expected of a Royal, she held no fear of making her presence known. Others did not pay attention to the noises they made, so she figured it was just her own habit of watching out for the princess since she has been her servant for so long. Above them, the black night of heaven and its Twin Sisters made the air cold. Yet despite its vain sigh, Madoka remained warm and Audrey's hand was as well.
They could go anywhere the princess wanted, be it longing mountains or aside billowing rivers, and their shared heat would not change. Or so the maid wished to believe with all her heart. For now, they were headed to the inn. Madoka could sense Audrey's rising anticipation of a bed in their near future, but smiled contentedly at her quirk. To her surprise, however, when they arrived the towering Armor stood at its entrance.
"Is he, perhaps, too big to fit through the door?" Audrey whispered to Madoka. Despite wanting to reprimand her for her rude statement, Madoka realized that he was indeed, too tall to simply duck through the inn's shabby doorway. There was no way that was the reason, though, for he appeared to be waiting for them. He pointed a massive finger to Madoka. "Eep! He's locked onto us!"
"It's rude to point," Madoka scolded the living Armor. "Especially at Her— ah, milady."
The helmet tilted ever so slightly, enough for Madoka's sharp ears to hear a small creak in his plating. It was if the giant was about to speak, but then the door swung wide open and uselessly bounced off of him. It was Innkeeper Ichna!
"You two...!" The old woman cried out.
"What is it now?" Madoka let go of Audrey's hand and instinctively moved in front of her.
"F-Forgive this innkeeper!" The old woman blubbered. "But the creat— my maid, she's...!"
Before Lady Ichna could speak further, the two looked at each other and immediately moved inside to investigate the emergency. The place was busy as usual, but Madoka had a small inkling that the maid was in the room near the back. That woman probably tried to force her to work and realized the maid's condition was worsening. Madoka shook out of her preconceived notions of the innkeeper's prejudices, there was no time to worry about that! The other inn maid was working like usual, but worry painted her face.
There was strange murmurings behind the door, Madoka could sense them with help of the quick and leaping Knotting strands. She turned to Audrey before opening it, who nodded. Hope she's not cursed, she prayed. She steeled herself and then pushed the door open. The two gasped at the woman inside.
"T-That don't look healthy at all," Audrey looked disturbed at the sight.
In the darkness and through the twin slivers of moonlight, Georgia lay in a pit of her own blood and vomit while sucking up more air. Madoka immediately rushed to her side, ignoring the mess she caused sloshing on her knees. Her back was torn open from her left shoulder down to her spine.
"Who did this?" Madoka growled. "Heal her, please!"
"O, Velvet Overlord! The Blood-born, t-t-they seek—"
"Hush, hush," Madoka held her, while Audrey moved to use one of her talismans. The maid was incoherent, and with every bizarre word she uttered she gushed out more blood and food chunks.
"M-memories-beast-memories! F-Free of faces!"
"Heal her, dammit!"
"I got it!" Audrey shouted back, and suddenly the room became enveloped in webbed green light. The Substance magic's flowing net became entwined in the misty reflection of hillside dew and falling rain outside. Immediately the magic wrapped the wailing maid in its net but did not heal. Audrey gasped. "Shit!"
The Substance magic's net shattered, and Madoka heard the snapping of wood. She did not have time to question Audrey because Georgia's ravings worsened. Audrey breathed heavily. She noticed that the talisman in her hand broke.
"Audrey?"
"Something's wrong!" Audrey pulled out another Substance talisman and began to concentrate. "Seal the entrance. Don't let anyone get in here. I need to cast again."
Madoka locked the door to keep their business with the maid private. She sensed no one coming to investigate for now. Audrey's own breath was ragged, evidently using a lot more energy than her first try. She wanted to apologize for her hasty decisions, but the look on the girl's face showed an equal amount of curiosity and dedication for Georgia.
Madoka cleaning her mess up with her divine weapon as a broom. Audrey was busy with more of her green mana strands. It did not matter if her uniform and robes were dirty, for she would assist the fallen maid all over again in a heartbeat. She noticed something sticking out of the glistening slop she just swept.
"Are those... Feathers?" Madoka looked at the pile of food and viscera on the ground. Strange down feathers were protruding from the brown goop. She looked around, but the windows were shut so no birds could get in. Audrey gasped, and the maid's back once again became sewn together with fine but mismatching green threads on thin, fleshy fabric. After the bright light faded, only a shivering and rocking possessed woman remained.
"What a disaster," Audrey sighed, but fell into a deep sadness. There were two talismans crushed in her hands, all just to heal the maid.
"It's my fault those are broken," Madoka apologized. "I shouldn't have told you to waste—"
"I failed, Madoka," Audrey threw the defunct talismans in frustration. They splashed in the grody stew on the ground, and the princess fell to her knees. Madoka released her magic and the broom shattered into light, fully comprehending what she meant. "I failed her. I couldn't heal her mind, if only I knew more about that kind of stuff. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"
Madoka caught her and felt the Substance magic fading off her breath. Did Audrey destroy her mind in her attempt to heal her completely? Was she feeling guilty of such a grave mistake? Madoka moved to comfort her princess as she has done many times before, for this was all her fault and not Audrey's. A knock on the door distracted her.
"Is everything alright?" The innkeeper called for them. "I called for Faragor."
"W-Wait just a moment, please," Madoka called, releasing Audrey from her embrace. "Is she still alive, Audrey?"
"Y-Yeah," Audrey's hand glowed green as she touched the nape of Georgia's neck before Madoka could protest. "Her body is healed, but I think I broke her mind in the process. What is that on her back?"
Her eyes looked shocked as she scanned where the bloody wound used to be. Georgia was stained in blood, no longer twitching, but Madoka's jaw also dropped when she saw a small, singular wing sprouting from her shoulder. Its feathers were falling to the messy ground like snowflakes.
"S-She's got wings? Like a bird?" Audrey gasped, but corrected herself. "One wing?"
Georgia snapped straight, now aware of her surroundings but she still seemed to be unable to speak. Her one wing was stunted, and faint reddened lines traced themselves at its roots. Her face no longer twitched, but she appeared lifeless like a doll. Even her limbs slackened.
"I-I'm sorry for doing this to you," Audrey begged for the girl's forgiveness. "You would not have survived!"
Another knock was heard, along with the familiar and heavy steps of a large pair of armored boots. All Madoka wanted to do is give both Audrey and Georgia a big hug, but instead she waited to hear who was calling for them.
"You in there, young ones," Faragor called. "You are safe, yes, yes?"
"She's safe. We're coming out soon," Madoka sighed. She looked at Audrey who still was sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of the unresponsive Georgia. "Should we go now?"
"Mm," Audrey's response was glum, but the girl's determination returned, albiet rather slowly and in preparation for speaking with the strangers outside. Madoka helped her princess up and then turned to Georgia, who was looking at them with a blank expression.
"Can you understand me?" Madoka knelt before Georgia, who only stared back at her like she was lost. Silence was all she got in response. Madoka forced the sorrow out of herself and spoke softly. "I'm going to help you stand, now, okay?"
Georgia looked at her with a blank expression, but her body shivered as she helped her up. Madoka turned to Audrey.
"Can you open the portal? She's cold."
Audrey nodded, and looked at the door with hesitation. Madoka took a fresh robe out and dressed the maid, carefully wrapping the clothes around her wing. Touching it did not seem to cause the maid pain, but it was not like she would utter a noise about it anyways. She breathed, and to Madoka that was enough. She placed a hand on the door and looked to Audrey, who nodded.
The door creaked open and the light flooded in the room. To Madoka's embarrassment and surprise, all eyes were looking their way. Ichna wore genuine worry for Georgia on her eyes, but she was surprised at the sight of Armor standing behind the old woman along with a robed man, dressed in all bandages and protective clothing. That must be Faragor, Madoka figured. He is the apothecary they gave medicinal flowers to awhile ago.
"Long time no see, young ones, yes, yes," the Sovos man greeted them. His bandaged face wore glasses, and age showed on his eyes that narrowed upon Audrey. "You have some powerful magic, yes, yes. Let me see the patient."
"P-Patient?" Madoka asked. Audrey simply looked broken over the silent inn maid, rendered mute by her magic.
"If it was powerful," she cursed under her breath. "She would have been fully healed!"
She pointed at Georgia. The crowds were now muttering to themselves, but Madoka noticed that Kanys and Eraziror were also there behind the towering Armor. She shot him a look for some distraction, and to her surprise, Eraziror stood up on the table. He cleared his throat and began telling tall tales to the nearby people. She thanked him silently while Faragor walked up to the silent girl, and touched her neck with a glowing finger. Surprise marked his eyes for a moment, but then he noticed Audrey's sorrow.
"There, there, young one," Faragor pat Audrey on the head. "You did not fail, young one. Failure would mean standing by and letting this one die alone in the darkness. You took aid to a Possessed. No one can take away from magic such as yours. Got it?"
All Audrey could do is pout.
"He's right, Audrey," Madoka held her back from Faragor. "Thank you, for everything."
"What will you do to her?" Audrey asked suddenly. She turned to Armor. "Can she be entrusted to him?"
Armor's helmet nodded, creaking ever so slightly yet with a steady confidence. Madoka realized that the princess sensed something off about Faragor, but she could not. Audrey reluctantly allowed him to get closer to Georgia. Madoka's head swam in the rapid current of events. There were too many things for her simple mind to process, so all she could do is stand by and allow the silent maid to be escorted out with Armor. The crowds were distracted by Eraziror's tales. She thanked the kind gods no one seemed to care, while Audrey looked nervously at Faragor as he exited the Inn.
"Y-You," Innkeeper Ichna stammered in Reverent Noble. "Thank you for saving her, from this unworthy woman! I'll have a fine meal for you as fast as possible!"
"T-That's not necessary," Audrey reassured the lady, but Madoka's stomach growled. "Okay, nevermind."
"D-Don't worry about me!" Madoka felt embarrassed over her loud groan. "I'll be fine!"
"Hush, let this unworthy servant feed you two!" Ichna smiled. She looked relieved that her maid was saved, while Madoka noticed Audrey was distracted. The pain was dulled down on her face, but still remained as shadows under her eyes. She truly felt guilty over not being able to fully heal Georgia. Madoka was about to protest, when Ichna shoved two mugs in her hand containing mysterious liquid. "You two have been through a lot tonight, drink this, drink this!"
"I-I'm good," Audrey mumbled, not hiding the disgust on her face.
The other young inn maid quietly sat them down in the corner. Eraziror was singing, but all Madoka could do is look over the muddy liquid swashing within the mug. Audrey was brooding, but apparently noticed Madoka's stare. Curiosity welled within her stomach and the more she looked at the drink, the more it looked like an unbounded pool of freedom.
"You can drink it, you know. I ain't going to ID you," she sighed. "I'll just be over here, like, beating myself up or whatever."
"A-Are you certain?" Madoka stammered. "You looked like this... drink... might kill you."
"Whatever," Audrey crossed her arms and looked away. The wind soughed outside as Madoka lifted the mug to her lips, but it was not enough to drown out the cheerful reveries in the tavern. If it kills her, she would not to have hear all this ruckus. She was also strangely not in the mood to argue with the princess or even scold her.
She poured the contents of the drink down her gullet and almost immediately felt something rushing inside of her. Her body told her she was fine, but dizziness settled upon her skin like the irritating light from the lantern flames. All she could do was laugh. Audrey suddenly made an odd face or perhaps it was her vision failing her, but Madoka laughed harder.
She drank more from the draught, and laughed at a hundred more of her worries. Madoka passed over water for more of the odd drink and the sensation it gave her, then passed over more of it for water. Her belly, feelings and laughter blended together in a harsh yet soft path, of which she treaded heavily over. Why does it have to be about Audrey's failures? Why could it not be about her own failures for once? Her mind stung, leaving blurry images instead of her memories in motion.
She knew time passed, but only felt herself trampled over and carried upstairs where she was set upon a bed like dinnerware. Madoka protested, or remembered her reckless desire to keep on laughing and forget about Audrey for a moment. She wanted to keep laughing and eating!
"Why!" She felt herself restrained, but her vision was slowly fading to black where she could no longer laugh.
VI.
Madoka's chest ached and her head throbbed. She grunted in frustration. What was happening to her? A golden light hung above her. Its effulgence was ceaseless and stinging, only matching the throbbing within her chest. She had her eyes closed! Light should not affect her when she had her eyelids squeezed shut!
She sat up and braced herself for the piercing light's brightness as she cracked one eye open. A magical sphere greeted her, evidently surrounding the entire bed. A bed? Madoka looked down and realized she has been placed on a soft bed. By who? She wondered. The throbbing in her head must be caused by this awful light! As the coolness of the night passed through its radiance, she realized it was her own Knotting magic condensed into the sphere that trapped her.
What did she do last night? Madoka groped at the sphere, looking for a way to free herself. Her heart also pounded and she quickly checked herself. Her core was glowing! She has not used this glowing shield since her battle with the AI Servitor Hesonoo. She plunged her hand into her chest with considerable effort, calling upon the magical weapon within and breaking the glass-like dome to pieces of erratic strands.
Someone let out a snore beneath her bed, startling Madoka. She was not alone in this room, nor did it seem to be a dream. She groggily wobbled towards the edge of the bed to see who the culprit was, and recognized the sleeping blonde girl resting at the foot of the frame.
"Audrey?" Her voice cracked at every syllable. The princess snorted in response, but remained unfazed by Madoka's calling. She was glad she did not wake her up, because her voice embarrassed her. She remembered she drank that strange liquid, the alcohol as Audrey called it, and laughing. The same kind of drink Nobles in the Palace had. She instantly covered her mouth. She laughed? Such a dangerous drink! "The floor is no place for Her Highness, Madoka."
"Soft, feather, ball of goose," Audrey murmured as Madoka prepared to get up. "Affable, honking, don't bite me!"
She scolded herself, and carefully placed both her feet on the ground. Her vision was straightening, but her head still felt pangs of an unknown headache. It must have been caused by the alcohol. Madoka has worked in the palace under worse conditions, so she shook her head and forced herself up. She probably succumbed to the alcohol and must have been a burden to Audrey, yet again.
Madoka sighed and scooped the sleeping princess up. Placing her upon the soft bed, she realized that the girl was still in her traveler's garb. She pouted, once again reminded of her failure to attend to her princess, but there was no use fussing over it since she did not have access to the storage portal to change her into better clothes. Her body burned and her head throbbed. She cursed — she needed some fresh air.
"Wo- woman of my dreams," Audrey murmured. The sun was still tucked away, and that was the last thing Madoka wanted to hear from Her Sleepiness. "H-Hope the maid gets paid sick leave..."
"I'll be back," Madoka assured her before stepping out their room, and recieved a snore in response.
Something was amiss. The downstairs of the inn was completely spotless. Madoka grasped her head, but moved to inspect the handiwork of the mysteriously cleaned tables. Did that one maid do this all by herself? How impressive! Perhaps one day, she mused as she traced a finger over the spotless surface she would speak with the bar maid and exchange their routines!
A sudden sharp sting struck her eyes made her recoil. Maybe their conversation can wait until after she recovers from whatever magical side effect was hurting her. She pushed open the door and felt the night's chill brush across her face. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. Light mist hazed the twin moons and she was alone, trudging to nowhere in particular.
It was odd to her that she felt at ease, even in another country faraway from her home. She supposed that since she was given away, she never had felt anything familiar such as a place to clean all by herself. The Palace was not her home— it was someone else's. Madoka thought about such feelings as she walked down the main street towards the Guild Hall. It had been a few days since they have gone there, and yet they were departing from this place already.
She wondered if this adventuring thing the princess was obsessed with would get old and she would settle down. Madoka longed to serve and clean for her in a place of their own. She felt the icy handle of the Guild Hall's door. If they worked enough they could get a place together so she could finally feel at home. The hall, as usual, was empty. The staff must have been busy with their operations in Tritorjan, although she knew they moved quickly.
Perhaps that fallen city could be the rebirth of new homes for the ones that lost theirs already.
"Lady Madoka," a lady's voice greeted her, with a brush of discomfort. Madoka realized that the awful headache was slowly disappearing, and thanked the kind gods for it. "Lady—"
"No honorifics, please," Madoka begged. The frazzled woman who approached her was not anyone she knew. An iron tag slung from her neck, as she recovered from the apparent shock of speaking with her.
"S-Sorry, Lady, er, Madoka," the woman stammered. "Y-You're just quite famous, aren't you?"
"I don't know," Madoka shrugged. She let the lingering silence pressure the woman until she cracked, secretly unsure of what to say to strangers.
"Sir E-Eraziror is outside in the training yard," she squeaked, then scurried away before Madoka could respond.
He's training? She realized this could be an opportunity to shake off the rustiness she felt. Lord Leopride would scold her if he learned that she neglected to exercise. The thought made her instinctively hurry past the few parties standing around in there. She also had to thank him for distracting the crowd last night. Sand and light rain smattered against her cloak as the damp dawn greeted her, even though the sun has not woken up yet.
She marched through the garrison and took out a dull wooden blade. Eraziror was out there, his blue armor barely visible in the mist, and had his sword above his head, in a striking stance. Holding the stance for a moment, he opened his eyes and slashed downward. In that moment, Madoka could sense some strength in his swing, but she realized that the fighting style he had adopted was designed for fighting animals or monsters. Yet, it was too clean as if he was expecting a fair fight. He continued his strikes for a few minutes before noticing her.
"Madoka," his voice was low and subdued, unlike his usual cheerful tone. "What brings you out here?"
"Clearing my head," Madoka raised the wooden sword up to practice her Cherish-Style movements. Eraziror stayed quiet, and continued his own strikes.
As soon as she let out her first stance, she could sense something off. The hissing air was the only thing heard while Madoka contemplated what she was missing in her practice. A single slash at air would not do, she concluded she would need a rock or something to break.
"Say, Eraziror," she broke the quietness. His sword nearly fell out of his hand. Why was he nervous around her? "I wanted to thank you. For helping us last night."
Eraziror froze, but then began to laugh.
"What is it?" Madoka asked him. What could she possibly do last night after drinking a few of those mugs?
She continued her training out of nervousness and embarrassment while the Sovos man kept laughing.
"You really are something, Madoka," he howled, but stopped after noticing her confused expression. "For someone so uptight all the time, it was refreshing to be around you last night after a round of reveries, eh? You didn't disappoint!"
Madoka's sword stopped midway through her swing, feeling the color warming up her cheeks.
"W-What did I do?" She was horrified at the sudden realization that she had no recollection of the events last night. Alcohol was a dangerous substance for her!
"Oh, man!" Eraziror laughed. "You were quite the wild one! Drank like no tomorrow, laughed with us and made fun of your master, broke a few tables, and then proceeded to clean everything up with that crazy magic of yours!"
Madoka cringed. With each new deed he listed, her heart pounded out of sheer terror that such a drink was responsible of her disorderly behavior. Eraziror smacked her shoulder lightly.
"You drank me under the table, but when the rest of us tried to help you to your room you nearly tore the place up again defending your master from us!" He chuckled. "She had to heft you up all alone because you didn't let us help!"
"H-How much," Madoka's eyes shifted and her grip in the sword shook while the Sovos man looked like he was going to pop from his hooting and hollering. "How much did I drink last night?"
Eraziror wheezed, but stuck a hand to his chin in thought. That motion alone made her worry. That was not the bar maid's work she inspected, she realized that she was inadvertently complimenting herself! Kind gods, she groaned. She has really made a horrible mess of things!
"You don't know?" The Sovos man chuckled. "Enough to fill a table besides our own tab! Don't take this the wrong way, but you'll fit in just right with all the rest of us with how you drank! Hopefully we can get drinks in Gladeban when we get there, Miss Shining Knight of Audrey."
He seemed to be referencing something she must have said last night.
"Did I really call myself that?"
"Who knows?" Eraziror's sword swung in the same repetition from before.
"Answer me!" She begged, but the cruel Sovos seemed to enjoy holding the forbidden knowledge over her head.
"Naw," Eraziror refused and laughed. "You needed to loosen up, anyways! And I dare say the drinking last night worked like a Substance's perfected talisman!"
"I cannot be loosen up," Madoka growled. "Or whatever you said."
"Ho?" Eraziror chuckled. "You are using Commoner with me already instead of your usual Reverent Noble!"
"It's merely a slip of the tongue!"
He chuckled and raised his sword up. Madoka felt a twinge of annoyance from knowing he was teasing her, but gave up fighting it. Whether she cared to admit it or not, the man did lighten her mood up already. Eraziror continued practicing his sword techniques as if nothing happened, while she continued her training in a fit of frustration. What was worse yet, he never took that smug grin off his face the whole time, and she felt his eyes watching her. She would think of something to get back at him somehow!
"If it helps you feel better, your Noble friend was in a dark mood until you took the plunge," Eraziror breathed in and took a small break. "I don't know what you two have gone through, but she is lucky to have you serving her."
"That's where you're wrong," Madoka muttered, trying to remember the movements Lord Leopride did when he made those stones.
"Huh?" Eraziror looked at her strange behavior. "What do you mean?"
"I am lucky to have her," Madoka simply told him.
A flash of inspiration struck her, but she was sure it was the dizzying sensation she could not shake out of. The motions Lord Leopride started with his feet, kicking up dust and clasping his hands quickly. She thought he was praying to a kind god for access to the magic. Perhaps this was the way how.
A small sense of satisfaction gathered at the corner of her lips. She was young back then, unable to track his movements nor detect the cursed golden strands flowing all around her from the ground to the sky. Within a splash of a small droplet from the myriads of clouds above, she kicked up small grains of sand and shaped them by clasping her hand.
"W-What do you plan on doing with those?"
"Watch," she simply raised the wooden sword above her hand. They were not as tough as the ones Lord Leopride constructed, but would serve her well all the same. One by one, each of her stances shattered the rocks to pieces.
An audible gasp came from the hall, as other adventurers were watching from a distance. A glare sent them away, but Eraziror remained, crossing his arms. She sensed he had trouble believing what he saw, but she simply moved back to the first stance and performed her breathing techniques.
"A third tier spell? I think you're stronger than that Noble for sure," he retorted. "I don't mean anything wrong against your master, but, can she split rocks like those with no effort? D-Don't answer!
"She is much stronger than I am," Madoka replied blankly. The Sovos waved his free hand at her in protest.
"Gods, so quick to admit! I said I was too afraid to actually know. But it makes sense, you two did not even flinch once at the dead in Tritorjan. No normal person could see that and not sleep soundly at night," he rested a hand over his eyes. "I know I couldn't."
"You led us within the city's gates with the dead all around us in the end," Madoka remembered the earless, gaping jaws of lifeless faces hung upon the city walls. Each of them were once a living person, capable of experiencing things for themselves, removed too soon by vile forces she herself could communicate with. "What does that make you?"
"C-Certainly not as strong as you, or even," He sighed. "Her. And I can't say it didn't make me queasy looking at them."
"Kanys," Madoka remarked. Of the people her princess was weary of, Kanys of Ustelan was the most skilled of all of them besides Armor. Eraziror spat dust out his mouth from the wreckage of Knotting chains.
"When we fought the, ah, imposter posing as you in that temple," Eraziror pointed at Madoka. He had a knack for being theatrical, though the stabbing motion made her feel odd for some reason. "She was the one who got the fake you to run with the final stab. I, on the other hand, well... I'm here training."
"Was I really that weak?" Madoka muttered. If a shadowy illusion posed as her, she guessed that it still only had its own strength and could not copy hers. "To be defeated by such people?"
"Huh?" Eraziror feigned being hurt by the maid's musings. "I have to be stronger. Like you need to be for Lady Audrey, probably. She's always been a few steps ahead of me. Although, I've always been better with instuments than swords."
"Well," Madoka pointed at his feet and then at his sword arm. "Your form is too proper, pretty to watch but won't get you far in battle. If an enemy knows how stiff you are they will catch you with feints."
Eraziror did another swing and shrugged.
"I see," he muttered. "I lose to Kanys in duels all the time, but I always thought she was too quick."
"What will happen to her if she were to become a Night Agent?" Madoka asked. The Sovos frowned as he loosened his grip and tried to copy some of her movements. With enough practice, she was sure he could succeed in being a strong fighter. She made a rock for him, and gestured at it expectantly.
"I'll... She'll go back home in Esmeralda, to the Enclave of Shadows no doubt," he grunted as he slashed his sword at it. The rock did not budge at all. "Such powerful magic... What did you do to this thing?"
He did not give up, to her surprise. Instead, he steeled his breath and swung down with even more might upon the rock. A grinding shower of sparks flashed in the air, evaporating, but the rock was split in two.
"I'll do anything to get stronger," he breathed, satisfied at his work. Madoka clapped her hands at the strands between her fingers, and the rock turned back into sand. "I'll even find those fairies if that means keeping Kanys around."
"And what if she doesn't stick around?" Madoka asked. Eraziror grew a dark tone along his scales as he lowered his voice.
"I'll rip off their wings myself to gain that power," he growled, but returned to his cheerful self. Madoka was unnerved at the process of tearing apart a fairy like that, but she has never seen one so she shrugged. She has torn the wings off of a dragon before so the process might be similar.
"Looks like you need to smash more rocks, then," she offered.
"What? Look, you know," Eraziror exclaimed incredulously. "Ceghinort's blood, I barely could cut that thing, you know. Not only can you turn an entire army of goblins inside out, you got powerful magic to boot! It's freakish. How I still even get surprised at your tricks is a miracle in itself, don't you think?"
"Here," she shrugged, and conjured up another rock. She was more meticulous about her movements this time, ensuring that the training rock was even more reinforced than the other one. What showed up instead was a metal sphere the size of a boulder, towering over the both of them. Eraziror gawked, while Madoka was reminded of the slime's core she slung at Hesonoo. "There you go, now I must go collect Audrey. We're going with you to Gladeban."
Eraziror was too shocked to respond, staring up at the metal boulder. Madoka deemed it a fitting revenge for him teasing her and smiled to herself. Other adventurers soon approached the rock as she left, each attempting and failing to shatter it with their swords. She still had a dull pain thumping in her head as she walked down the streets alone. Wagons and people were marching along the roads, but a strange squabbling started around the corner much louder than the traffic and crowds.
"Attention!" Squawked one voice. Madoka approached the noise, only to realize that the voices were coming from a small flock of grey birds with red beaks gathered around the street corner. She observed them, while they largely seemed unbothered by her presence.
"Beak 1, report!" The plumpest bird seemed to be the leader of the flock, hopping back and forth as if it was pacing. "God of Tomorrow, where is that bird-shit-for-brains?"
"Sir! Beak 1 has been lost, sir!" A smaller bird, who was evidently not Beak 1, piped up. The Leader marched up to the small bird and sized him up by puffing up his breast.
"Is that so?" The Leader pecked at his wings, in a fit of exasperation. "Beak 2, report!"
"Sir, yes, Sir!" Beak 2 squawked. "We've lost all contact with any wings in Squadron 4, Squadron 3 has gone completely MIA, and we're the last ones of Squadron 2."
"It's the great Orange Demon! Took out our Espionage Tower perch!" Another Beak cried out. "Tore Tweetsum to pieces, within a flash!"
Demon? Madoka suddenly felt nervous. Such beings were only described in legends, yet these birds spoke of one that hunted them?
"Gods," the Leader sounded shaken up by the apparent loss of his fellow birds. Other people walked past them, unaware of the dire circumstances the birds were facing. "Good work, Beak 2, take the rest of the men and get some rest. I'll have to send this report to Command tonight..."
Beak 2 marched up to Madoka's boot, and his beady eyes peered up at her.
"These feather-less ones sure are bold to encroach upon the Pigeon Territory, aren't they? I don't need a wingman, get away from us!" He chirped angrily at Madoka. She ignored him, and soon he rounded up the other squabbling birds to fly off. All that remained was the Leader, standing over the corner pecking for smaller insects.
"E-Excuse me," Madoka spoke to the Leader Bird. Instantly, the bird's neck perked up in a commanding motion as it turned to her.
"Name and rank, two legs?" It scolded her. "I am Commander Steel, the leader of the finest Aerial Communications unit in the Tropious Zone, and you speak too familiarly with me!"
It bobbed its beak expectantly. Madoka cleared her throat.
"A-Apologies, sir. Squire Madoka, of House Dalion," she made up her rank to the bird, but it appeared to relax and accept her self-designation.
"At ease, squire," it paced. "Situation's dire in the East, a territory of the Tropious Zone has been conquered by the enemy. You ground-walkers call it Gladeban. A demon walks amongst the civilian center. And you people do nothing!"
It bellowed, but sounded like a sweet chirp to other ignorant people walking by her as she knelt down beside the bird.
"I happen to be on the move to Gladeban," she informed Commander Steel. The bird raised its wings, holding them defensively. "With my Knight."
"Is your Knight a fool, Squire?" He roared. "I just informed you of the dangerous being who cleaned out our tower there, and yet you state his intention is to march back to the jaws of the Abyss itself! God of Tomorrows, preserve this one!"
"What do you know of the Demon?" She asked him.
"I know I lost quite a few good men there, wings torn apart, every single feather massacred upon that tower," he squawked. "Orange, as a ravenous fire. Silent, as the night. Sharp claws. Tell your so-called Knight good luck in his pursuit of Glory or whatever you featherless ones chase. Hmph."
"I can go investigate the Demon for you if you'd—"
"Negative, squire. It's suicide to return there, and I shant lose another Beak or ground-walking merc in enemy territory!" Commander Steel cut her off. "You got your orders from your knight, though you're as good as lost already. Get to them. Not like a green soldier like you could accomplish much against such a vile Demon. Dismissed, squire."
With that, the bird waved her off with a wing, and Madoka found herself moving towards the inn wondering what just happened to her. Has she always been able to speak with animals directly? It all started with her being able to hear their thoughts. They all seem to have faith in the mysterious God of Tomorrows, she pondered if that meant that it also was the God of all birds and monsters, or even all animals and monsters.
Awhile later, Madoka stood above her sleeping princess. The sun was well up, and she avoided eye contact with anyone who could have potentially seen her in her drunken state last night. For the first time, Madoka hesitated on waking Audrey up since she was the one who experienced the brunt of her disorderly behavior. What if she did something unforgivable to her?
"I wanna be a goose!" Audrey sat up on her own suddenly, checking herself all over and ending up seemingly disappointed. Madoka sighed, but after the two locked eyes, the princess turned away and turned red. "Mornin', Madoka. How are you feeling?"
"I have this, headache," Madoka groaned. "It's been with me ever since I woke up, beating the sides of my head."
"That's called a hangover," Audrey explained. "I don't know when it will go away, I never drank any of that stuff in either of my lives. And before you ask: Last time I tried to heal someone's head they went mute, so."
"I don't need your healing, Audrey," Madoka snapped. "I need you to get up. We are going to go to Gladeban, remember?"
"Unfortunately," Audrey still could not look her in the eyes. Why were her cheeks red? Madoka put her hands on her hips and narrowed her suspicion on her princess.
"What did I do last night?" Madoka asked, though she held regrets over the question.
"A-A lot of things," Audrey stammered. "You said some things to me, but then you complained it was too loud and put yourself in that big bubble of yours."
"Like what?" Madoka pressed, but knew the girl's lips were sealed. "It doesn't matter. Let's get to the Guild, Eraziror's already there."
"You already got up?" Audrey complained. "Forget alcoholic, you're a full blown work-a-holic. Naee waaah!"
Madoka did not care for her princess's remarks, for she was already dragging her out to the Guild Hall. She shall forget about these mistakes to Gladeban!