III.

Madoka woke with cold sweat beading down her forehead. She felt like she was freezing. Instinctively she moved to check herself over but stopped at the sight of her palm. The scar was not there. How could this be? She checked her surroundings tentatively. There was nothing but darkness around her like a cold and damp rag.

Was she kidnapped? No, she concluded. She has traveled so long to not get taken by mere weaklings like those adventurers. Despite this, her rapid thoughts thumped against her skull and she felt like her eyes were going to burst. A voice called to her, beckoned her to listen.

Eyes.

Give me them.

I will be elated to see you...

"Who's there?" She growled. The darkness did not lift from her eyes but a shade of purple fog began to fill the place she found herself in. Madoka hated this place. If she was in a dream she would have woken up already. Panic welled in her but she dared not to show it to her adversary.

Be not afraid.

Just let me have your eyes and you will find me.

My time is fading.

"No!" Madoka screamed into the mist. Her own hands formed into feathery claws and jerked towards her eyes on their own! They clawed at her face while she resisted and shook her head. "Leave me be!"

I wish to be happy.

Why do you resist?

It cannot be helped then.

Child, let us play again some time.

We will meet again.

You're not like the rest.

A cackling laughter echoed in her mind but she felt like the grasp on her fingers lifted off of her. The purple fog enveloped her so she reached for her weapons. Her axe was not at her side! Madoka tried to reach for her crystal inside of her but her hand merely punched her chest. Something glowed within the illuminated violet smog.

A strange chamber? Black chains clinked around her ankles and the ground beneath her scraped at her feet but she pushed forward to investigate it. Chains have not been strapped to her wrists and legs since Madoka was a child. A small tear played at the edge of her eyes. Each step was a lesson but she was determined to learn through the gas. Her vision faltered but something floated within the chamber. It seemed like the both of them were suspended and somehow standing on thin air within this abyss. Madoka focused on the figure within.

A woman was unconscious and tied by black tubes inside of it! The maid looked around the pitch black room and saw the purple mist had lifted entirely. The woman seemed serene, floating within the confines of the chamber's bubbling waters. As Madoka studied her, the woman suddenly shook awake. Her blue eyes sharpened with anger and pierced Madoka. Her disheveled blonde hair swished rapidly in water as she rocked her head with an inaudible fury and her arms struggled against the black tubes that restrained her. The maid was worried she was drowning so she tried to break the chamber. It was no use! Desperation filled her when suddenly she heard a voice above her.

"Madoka!"

"No!" Madoka screamed. The chamber and the desperate woman sank into the darkness but the voice persisted over the maid's guilt. "Let me save you!"

"Madoka, wake up!"

Hands pulled her out of the abyss she was in and Audrey was above her. She looked concerned. The princess's full weight was sitting on her chest with her arms underneath. Madoka heaved in the stench of the battle they had before and rain showered upon wherever she was placed in.

"You stink," Madoka growled and signaled for her to get off of her. Audrey looked down at the compromised position they were in and got off of her.

"S-Sorry," Audrey glanced at the maid's hands. She followed her eyes and found her hands to be red. Blood. There was something streaming from her friend's face. Tears?

"Kind gods," she sat up and bumped her head into canvas. Her feet knocked over a wooden object. A talisman? She was in the tent they traded spaces in during their journey through the mountains. "What happened to me?"

"I tried to wake you," Audrey embraced her. Madoka did not stop her. "You were tearing at your eyes from some kind of nightmare. You didn't get 'em, but your face... I healed you, okay?"

"How long have I been out?" She questioned. She scolded herself as she realized she forgot her manners. "Thank you for saving me."

"Others will be rising soon," Audrey looked back out the small folds of the tent's entrance. "What happened to you in that dream?"

"I—" Madoka stopped herself. She felt an odd sense in her gut so she decided to keep the dream's details hidden. She felt the need to protect that woman but guilt consumed her. She failed to save her. "I remember something calling for my eyes."

Audrey studied her for a moment but did not question further.

"I see," she looked at the twin moons. "Something spooky is out there deep in the forest. Shakin' up the damn place. Shadow said he sensed something bad or whatever tugging at his mind. It might be certain people that get affected by it."

"Mm," Madoka ignored the details as she became tired again and yawned. "How much time do we have left before we move out?"

"Three or four hours, I reckon," Audrey scooted out of the tent. "Aaaand you're asleep again, aren't you? Good night."

"No," Madoka simply laid back. "That... Priest. What do you make of him?"

"Him?" Audrey questioned her. They spoke in English. "His prophecies seem like a load of shit."

She chuckled. Madoka sat up and stretched. Her legs and arms bumped across Audrey's body but she did not care. The girl protested and crawled out of the tent. It was night time and smelled worse than the dark.

"Why do you say that?" Madoka helped herself out and threw the canvas into the portal. There was no one awake near them so they took advantage of the storage talisman. The night watchers must be rotating elsewhere, she checked for hostile thoughts but found nothing.

"It's just that," Audrey mused. "I get that Red Strings seal some big bad evil away. I just don't think it's the princesses since I'm still alive... Or maybe perhaps—"

Her face went pale for a moment and stimbled. The red haired girl caught her princess and helped her up.

"Sorry, I just realized something about it," Audrey shook her head. Her hair had seen better days, Madoka noted. The silver moons above shown in her eyes but not in those blonde curls. "Perhaps my red string or whatever has been cut already. When Elise died that is, you know. Maybe that's when the star fell on Chelise. I don't even understand what that means but it's a possibility that the prophecy's already started even before I reincarnated. I hope I'm overthinking it though."

"Me too," the maid scanned the woods for something to sit on.

There were plenty of ruined trees so she guided the girl. Did she have a vision just now? Madoka's mind wandered as this was a bit too much for her to process. She believed her princess was correct that Elise would not be standing here before her — it was Audrey. The girl described what a reincarnation was awhile ago.

How cruel, Madoka mulled over the concept. To think a kind god or another supposed divine being was able to rip loose souls out and replace them in another's body. It was like throwing away fresh food and putting a new meal on the same plate. How cruel to end a life so shortly and yet — how odd the concept sounded to the maid.

She pulled a log chopped from Audrey's wind magic over for them to sit on and wait for the other adventurers to wake. The maid did not care how much noise she caused. Under the stars and twin moons, she felt nostalgic for something. Was it the discomfort of being out during cold and devastating nights? Madoka felt the log shift slightly as her friend sat beside her.

The more she was with people the more she wished to be left alone with the princess. Could she ever get over this feeling?

"So, uh, listen," Audrey spoke quietly but to Madoka's ears she might as well had shattered a mountain. "Not that I'm complaining about my job class or anything, but using Substance magic on you..."

"I'm sorry," Madoka choked. "I don't deserve your healing."

"I'm worried for you okay?" Audrey suddenly became emotional. "Don't be so spiky! You're like a hedgehog or something. A lovable one."

"I am not," Madoka scoffed. She did not bother asking what a hedgehog was.

"Uh huh," Audrey bumped her shoulder.

"Nuh uh," Madoka repeated herself.

Deep down inside her heart, she already knew the reason why her princess cared so much about her but she felt ashamed of herself. Audrey kicked back and soon a sphere of blue water manifested in front of her.

"Here," She sighed. Madoka looked at her princess for any tricks but gave up. Her ability to use water still was strange to her. Mages in the Palace used fire, wind and ice so she never questioned why at first until she saw Audrey's miracles. Madoka acquiesced and cleaned herself off.

"I would heal you over and over again whether you like it or not," she declared. Madoka paused midway through washing her hands. "My issue is, the Six Armed Goddess talisman only has two charges left. That's the one that can revive you from death itself. Easy right? Just don't die, right? Such a ridiculous command considering what we're probably going up against. Bah!"

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She fished out the Goddess's talisman. It was as long as her forearm but Madoka noticed that two out of its six arms remained. Audrey held it out under the twin moons but it did not react. The moons themselves were fading in the orange horizon. Of the talismans that she stole from the kingdom only the storage portal device and the Six Armed Goddess talisman remained.

"I found that if I use Substance magic I use up my own life force," Audrey put them into the bag again. "The green things come from my own breath and make me feel wobbly. Ain't much, but it's honest work. Well I, ah, may have borrowed the healing talismans from the fat noble's healer but still."

"You sacrifice your own..." Madoka shook with horror. How could she waste her life force on a useless slave like her?

"Before you get the wrong idea," she panicked at Madoka's reaction. "The strands come back. The process is really weird and a tad bit tingly, but it should not be an issue. But if what you did to yourself last night gets worse we might have issues."

"I won't let it," the maid promised. She did not know what she did to herself but the blood on her hands told her enough. "The sun's rising."

Someone in the distance yawned loudly. Audrey's bubble disappeared without a trace as they looked towards the source. The Sovos man stretched and made a show of it. How theatrical, Madoka mused. She crossed her arms and scoffed. Eraziror noticed them and trotted up to them. He was already in his armor. Perhaps he only owned those pieces for his clothing.

"Ah, the goblin slayer herself is awake. And her All-Powerful Mage is too," He made a bow to Madoka as she stood between him and her woman. The blasphemy alone earned him a deadly glare from the maid.

"Do not bow to me," she hissed. "That's...!"

"Fine, fine!" The Sovos surrendered but he could not hide his smirk. He turned to face the sun and posed triumphantly with his hands at his hips. "Now, what horrors are we going to bear witness today?"

"I can't help but think you're talking about us," Audrey grumbled but she stood up. Eraziror broke his pose and feigned being hurt.

"On the contrary, my beautiful Noble friend," he objected. At Madoka's glare, he switched to Reverent noble. "There might be plenty of new things we might have the misfortune of seeing... all over the place. Perhaps they might not even be in one piece by the end of it."

"Okay, I get it, I get it," Audrey stretched. "Aren't you the leader of this party? Don't cha know where we're headed?"

"Well, yeah I am the captain but no, I'm not spearheading this operation. That would be the Guild Master himself. Our big guy over there would be the leader of this party but," he quickly pulled out his tag and let it glint in the sun. He must be proud of his iron tag, the maid observed it. The metal had a lot of notches in it and indicated that they have gone through many trials. "Unfortunately he has a case of the shyness even with a gold tag."

"Right," Madoka scoffed and dragged the log out of the way with one hand for Audrey. Eraziror gawked but persisted. She guessed that they simply were too weak or that he was contracted to escort these fools by a higher power in the Guild much like her.

"Why stick around here instead of finding fairies?" Audrey took up her bag. "What are those things, anyways?"

Her tattered notebook stuck out of it but Madoka's sharp eyes caught it sink into the portal. It had been evident that the princess had taken notes of everything and more the maid's imagination could cover. Eraziror ducked and looked uneasy before lowering his voice.

"Hey, watch it," he snapped. "You don't want to catch the attention of everyone, okay?"

"O-Oh," Audrey looked apologetic. Her adorable face said it all, however, and the Sovos was unable to resist.

"They got eyes everywhere, I reckon, but no one knows what they are or what they even look like," he quieted down and grew urgent after Audrey groaned. "With such ties to the Celestial and the Deep, they could take your name just for fooling around with them."

"Like a seance could bring 'em about? Or like saying their names?" Audrey frowned. "Cool, I guess."

"No, no, seances are Mansion magic... Something the Truth Guild dabbles in. Nevermind that. All of us Sovos have the calling, you know?" Eraziror sighed. "To join our brethren and Ceghinort in the Celestial skies. But I want to bring about—" he sighed and hid his goals again "— Something important. Okay? A-And fairies will help me do that. Their powers are much stronger than mere Mansion magic. I'm certain."

"Mansion?" Audrey furrowed her brow but decided not to question it. The maid thanked the kind gods a lecture on magic did not occur.

Madoka wanted to ask a question but she realized the implication of a fairy's power. That strange white bird might be one but she hated even thinking about it. The creature was too divine and alien that it made her shudder. A shadow crept behind Eraziror that made the red haired girl want to leap out and block but she was too slow!

"Hiya!" It was Kanys. Madoka eased at the sight of the girl clinging to him. It was as Audrey said: Love was in her eyes. She wondered if the princess would act the same if they were to share a night together as they did. The Sovos girl held onto him tightly while he tried to pry her off of his back. "Good morning, you foolish bastard!"

Audrey smirked at Madoka while she suddenly felt like an intruder. On second thought, she doubted that literally getting her princess of her back was something she wanted to do all the time. Kanys noticed the pair and ignored them while she nuzzled her face into his armor.

"So, uh," Audrey chuckled. "Maybe we should leave tweedle-dee and tweedle-horny alone, eh Madoka?"

Madoka had no idea what those nicknames meant but she grunted in agreement. The pair left the dragon couple and found Armor. Audrey barely reached his waist in height while Madoka stood a head over it.

"Gah!" Audrey tried to jump and touch his shoulder plates but then the tower turned. Unafraid, she continued to try leaping to reach his shoulder while Armor just nodded to Madoka. "I can reach his shoulders, I swear!"

"My a-apologies, sir," Madoka tried to restrain her princess but the giant ignored the princess's foolishness. A noise rumbled out of the helmet. Was that a chuckle? She wondered. "Can you not cause trouble?"

"What," Audrey pouted. "I'm bored! B-O-A-R-D. Wait that's not how you spell it... So what if I'm causing trouble?"

Madoka sighed and shook her head.

"You're not going to reach his shoulder," she gave up trying to rebuke her princess. When she got close the giant simply raised his shoulder. Was this game really amusing her so easily while they waited for orders?

"Hey! That's cheating!" Audrey cried. She muttered something while Madoka noticed movement happening among the other adventurers' tents. "At least with my size I have a smaller hitbox. That's something to be proud of, you know!"

A rumble came from the helmet once again. Audrey looked frustrated while Madoka tried to decipher what the rumble meant.

"Hey, I don't know what they fed you but it's not fair!" She told him. Did she really understand what he meant? Madoka looked at her dumbfounded. "Can't help that you're looking down upon me. Literally and figuratively."

"Hey, you guys!" A voice called out. It was the cocky adventurer but his tone was less demanding than the night before. "We have orders to move out soon! Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Audrey chirped. How could she be nonchalant about this fool's arrogance? The cocky adventurer paled when he noticed Madoka and changed his tune.

"Well, i-it will be obvious when the order is given, alright?" He blubbered in Reverent noble. "Watch for the skies."

What could that mean? Madoka silently questioned but the cocky adventurer left them alone again. Audrey grew quiet before she attempted to tap Armor's shoulder plate. She groaned as the man humored her and fumed. She is not a child!

"Above us!" One adventurer yelled from the cocky adventurer's group. Madoka's own arm hair rose as she scanned the grey skies above. Knotting magic traced in swirls within the thick clouds but somehow Madoka knew they were being guided by someone else. A familiar pair of wings enveloped by golden strands descended upon them.

"'Bout time," Eraziror clapped from behind them. Kanys leaned on his shoulder and clearly seemed satisfied from their business together. "We've been at it for an hour, heyo!"

The pair rolled their eyes while the Sovos girl seemed proud.

"We, uh, don't need to know that," Audrey's voice was ripe with discomfort. Eraziror huffed a foggy breath of smugness.

"Hush," Madoka hissed at them. The winged Guild Master was approaching them.

"You two!" Luxgor yelled at the pair.

"Who, me?" Eraziror asked and looked around. Madoka had a sinking feeling the Guild Master was calling for Audrey and her. Luxgor simply waved him off but could not hold back his exasperation.

"What did you two do to shake him up?" He pointed towards the cocky adventurer. Madoka moved to shrug but froze when he directed his attention to her. "And you killed HOW many goblins?!"

"Hey, now," Eraziror tried to calm his boss down. "I believe the phrase, 'does not play well with others' applies to our copper ranked friends, hmm?"

He nearly yelped when Kanys pulled him away and from the menacing stare Luxgor gave him. Audrey shuffled grass with her boot. Madoka was uneasy. Were they not supposed to defeat goblins?

"You said monster subjugation," Madoka kept her voice flat. "So we subjugated them."

"He started it," Audrey muttered. Luxgor looked angry at her remark but Kanys moved in front of her.

"Sir, with all due respect," Kanys finally spoke up as she covered Eraziror's mouth. Muffled complaints steamed from her palm but she did not let him go. "Without them we would have fallen prey to the goblin's warband."

Luxgor looked at the pair of girls and then to Kanys. Madoka was surprised that the dragon girl defended them. The Guild Master looked at Armor afterwards and Madoka swore the helmet nodded in agreement. After reading the giant's movements, he finally relented.

"I was going to send you back to town," Luxgor growled. "But seeing that you defeated seventeen goblins with just a simple knife and you slaughtered their entire back line with Wind magic I believe you're up to the task. On one condition!"

"W-What is the condition?" Audrey gulped. Madoka wondered if the horrors Eraziror did not want to see were on their way through the Guild Master's orders.

"You two are to be in separate groups in order to learn teamwork, you understand me?"

Audrey nodded furiously while Madoka felt apprehensive about leaving her alone. She felt like she was leaving a dangerous and volatile weapon alone in the woods but the girl spoke in defense of herself. The princess referred to that type of weapon as a broken arrow. Madoka imagined it would definitely hurt when stepped on though it was possibly worse considering she was involved.

"Trust me," the princess's voice was cool. Was she trying to appease her or Luxgor? "I got this."

This time it was Madoka's turn to glance nervously at Luxgor. She simply nodded instead which did not seem to calm his worry.

"Well, we will discuss the matter soon," he declared as he unfolded his wings. "The way to the main camp is clear thanks to your actions but please be safe around others. Got it?"

"Yes sir," Madoka promised.

The Guild Master nodded and took off.

"Huh," Eraziror quipped as he looked up. Madoka's eyes trained on the glittery path of Knotting magic until it blended with the clouds. "If only I had wings."

The cocky adventurer signaled for the advance and they followed his lead deeper into the forest. During this time, Madoka stayed quiet. There was a suspicious lack of animal thoughts in these woods, she strained her senses only to hear nothing wandering in the area.

Soon the cocky adventurer stopped everyone by raising his hand. Madoka scrunched her nose and tugged Audrey's sleeves. The smell of death was in the air. She gripped her axe while Audrey readied herself for combat. Madoka could see the view of Rustazian Guild emblem draped over several tents in the distances like drained out animal carcasses. Nevertheless, her pulse quickened. Something was wrong.

"Camp's ahead," The cocky adventurer peaked over several branches. "Be on the lookout. Even camps aren't safe from infestations like these."

They marched slowly towards the camp and prepared for anything but the kind gods showed luck today. Luxgor stood tall by many more adventurer parties. He glanced at the two girls and pointed at Madoka first.

"Stay with the iron rankers," he commanded. Madoka nodded and stood behind Armor nervously. The Guild Master pointed at Audrey who audibly gulped. "You. With them, now."

Madoka followed his pointed finger towards a group. One was wearing a suit of bone armor and another carried a plain wooden staff among the large party Audrey was assigned to. Familiar orange hair protruded from her hood. The maid's heart sank when she realized who they were. It was the former Gold rank adventurer Juujee though the rogue named Skulk was mysteriously absent.

Rin pulled her hood down and glared at Audrey. All Madoka could do is groan. Did Luxgor hate them that much?