I.

For awhile, the two girls sat silently in the tent until the weather became clear. They have hardly made any progress anywhere. They went further away from the roads when the roots pulsed through the valley floor and even further from the corpse of the war torn kingdom. Madoka could not bring herself to ask what they were going to do next. Elise, or Audrey as she was now known, snapped a tree branch over a circular formation of rocks. She rubbed the two halves together vigorously over leaves and other sticks, eventually creating a spark for a campfire. No magic was used, just simple resourcefulness.

Audrey threw more wood she gathered into the fire, whose flames danced excitedly over its new addition. Madoka regarded the former princess's work in a strange fascination. Despite what she said, Madoka found it odd watching her friend do manual labor. She has been serving Audrey for years after all. The fire's sparks contrasted in her eyes, like sparkling rubies on a fine blue velvet cloth.

"If you keep looking at me like that," Audrey finally broke the silence. "You might make me act up."

"S-Sorry, Your- Er, Elise- No, Audrey," Madoka fumbled over her words as she got flustered. She did not know what that phrase meant but it did not sound good.

"It's okay, Madoka," Audrey giggled. "I'm teasing you. Ah, it's good that I remember those days at Girl Scouts. Never thought I could last a day or two outside, huh?"

"Only two days?" Madoka asked. She was impressed but Audrey poked her.

"Hey, that hurts," she feigned being offended. "I can do things now, I think."

"You think?"

"Yeah!" Audrey cheered. Madoka had to refrain herself from calling her Elise almost every hour, but her friend truly seemed like she was more relaxed than before. "Some wilderness skills, a little bit of camping and cooking."

"Mm," Madoka looked away back at the darting flames.

The two settled back into a calm silence. She looked back at the smoke rising from where the Palace sat. It was not just the capital city that was being burned down, but battle seemed to spread across the whole valley. There was a lot of things that happened but despite all the chaos, they made it out alive. Madoka still kept her guard up. Even though they were further from the kingdom's capital, they still had to be careful. Audrey got her bag out.

"It's ain't much but it's honest work. It's also probably a federal crime to have these," Audrey glanced at the Divine Treasures inside the bag next to her feet. "But I can't be charged if there's no feds to chase me!"

She laughed awkwardly. Madoka crawled over to it and peered inside. Maybe it was time to organize it. To her surprise, Audrey let her take one out and look at it. She probably did not mind since Madoka did not have any magic powers within her. The statue was one Madoka recognized. It was the Six Armed Goddess from her old book.

"She's not much of a talker," Audrey remarked as Madoka held it up. "Said she was only drawn to you."

"Drawn to me?"

Audrey folded her arms and scoffed.

"Apparently, that Goddess brought you back to life will heal you fully only three more times. Bah! If it were me, I would heal you as many times all the time. Wheat is the staff of life, you know? Hmph!"

"Why would she do that for me?" Madoka wondered. Is Audrey really jealous of a kind god?

"No pressure. Just don't die more than three times, easy right?" Audrey's lips moved to say something about the question but then she paused and raised her shoulders in a shrug. "It's because you're special. I could try talking to her again, but she is not a sociable one. Some goddess of life and fields, eh? She probably is busy planting or something."

Madoka held it close and sent a silent prayer in thanks but the talisman remained silent.

"Wait, so if she did not heal you then..." Madoka's head hurt. Even with strengthened senses she still did not like thinking.

"Oh," Audrey simply shrugged. "I forced that one guy's dad to heal me. You remember that annoying soldier NPC during my unjust time-out?"

"That was y-your fault, though," Madoka protested. She thought of Squash-face, but a flicker of dead soldiers caused her to wince. He could have been any of those corpses. Audrey did not notice and continued on.

"It was unjust! How dare you make me bored, Madoka!" Audrey sighed. Madoka would have apologized but instead she countered with an I-told-you-so look. She cleared her throat. "Potato head's dad healed me before... you know."

Audrey trailed off. Madoka rested the goddess's statue on the cloth they sat on and dug out another talisman. It was beyond anything she could describe. It was spherical with too many limbs and had a singular eye in the center. As if the statue was not alien enough, a halo floated at the top of the sphere and could not be moved despite Madoka's attempts. Suddenly, the stone eye moved and glanced at her. Madoka panicked and placed it next to the Six Armed Goddess hastily.

"I-It looked at me!"

"Yeah, it does that. Ironic that you put those two together," Audrey chuckled. "That one is for War and Famine. Its name is Ares. It's not the god of fighting but rather the destruction and reaping it causes. Sounds wicked, right? It's still weird, though, from my old world Ares was some mythological macho-dude with a spear."

The name "War and Famine" made Madoka feel uncomfortable.

"W-Why do we have a god for that?"

"Beats me," Audrey said. Both of the girls glanced at the eye. It stared back. "You're a pretty 'violent person,' it said to me. I disagree. How could I, a delicate maiden, be violent? You can thank it for letting you break those roots in the palace."

"It strengthens me?"

"Ares strengthens you," Audrey corrected her. Madoka stared at the eye and blinked at it. The unblinking eye simply stared back deep into her soul. Madoka thought it was silly to expect it to speak back to a commoner but she picked it up again and held its gaze firmly. "It's like a real life buff!"

A buff? Madoka ignored her.

"Thank you, Ares," Madoka said aloud anyways. "You are a kind god."

Madoka waited for it to do something, but the eye did not move so she set it back down. The bag had two more of the Divine Treasures. Madoka could organize them easily. The third was simple looking compared to the other gods. It was shaped like a key. Madoka could guess that it was the strange item storage talisman that Audrey loved.

She tentatively placed it down next to the war god's.

"You could tell that isn't a god's talisman?" Audrey was sitting close to Madoka. The two looked over the objects as if they were picking flowers. "I suppose I can keep it on me. Like an inventory hot bar!"

"What does that even mean?" Madoka smoothed out the bag. Three will make organizing them easier, she supposed she will arrange them by size.

"Like a sort of... nevermind."

The last one sat in the bag. A pair of strange reptilian creatures with wings, their entangled by the arms. Between their long necks rested a stone. Audrey made a noise when Madoka pulled it out. Madoka found it odd and beautiful. The statue was made out of a smooth stone that matched the altar.

"That one is really talkative," Audrey admitted. Madoka gave her a look as she held it. The statue was as tall as her forearm. "It isn't speaking now, mind you. It's j-just that..."

"Just what?"

"It wants us to go to the mountains," Audrey said. Madoka packed them carefully back in the bag. "Up the mountains, specifically."

"What does it do?" Madoka asked.

"It apparently manipulates wind," Audrey said. "I'm too afraid to use it, to be honest. The rest of the talismans burnt away into ashes when I used them on you. Who knows if these will fall apart if I use them too much. Right?"

Madoka stated quiet. The flames from the campfire were dying down. She took it as a sign since the kind gods did not talk to any normal person. Besides, there was no use dawdling in the woods. Audrey stood up and stretched.

"It wants us to visit its home in the mountain," Audrey sighed. "I asked the dragons, hey, which mountain and it didn't reply. Does it really know how little the 'mountains are its home' narrows it down?"

Madoka suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling. Her stomach started rumbling. Audrey cocked her head at the noise before realizing it too.

"F-Forgive me," Madoka sighed. She had power in her beyond her comprehension telling her she doesn't have to eat, but her body still felt the need to eat and drink. What an embarrassment.

"Oh, right," Audrey sighed, unbothered by Madoka's growling stomach. She took out her storage talisman. "That reminds me of a little experiment."

The storage portal opened and Audrey reached her hand in it. Her eyes widened and a grin formed on her face. Madoka realized by the look on her face the experiment worked. Well, whatever it might be. Audrey withdrew a couple of strangely prepared food from it.

"This is a sandwich," she explained, handing one to her. "A classic. I didn't have time much to prepare a damn master class sandwich, obviously but hey, food's food."

The sandwich in question, Madoka observed, was simply two slices of bread with various greens and meats in between. She wanted to slap her forehead. Why did she not think of these before? It was then the smell of the meat wafted in her nose and her stomach growled, so Madoka ate it without hesitation.

"We're going to have to get going soon," Audrey said. "Maybe find a town or something to get food. Otherwise we're going to starve. It's time to be on some real hunter-gatherer shit, huh?"

"R-Right," Madoka said, ignoring whatever she said. Audrey tossed her another sandwich and yanked out her book before making the portal disappear. It was slightly burnt now.

"I might have been a princess for as long as you known me for," Audrey smirked as she flipped through the pages. That book could be a Divine Treasure of its own, Madoka though. "But lucky for you, this ex-princess can cook and do stuff, I promise! Now let's see that map again so we can raid— I mean visit the nearest town."

"Did you just say raid?"

"Like a pantry at 2am! I mean, uh. N-No," Audrey stuttered before throwing the book under her cloak. "We've moved a bit north in the valley but the closest town is that way. Eastward! Our travel story arc has just begun Madoka!"

Madoka got up and followed her without a word.

II.

They followed a road for awhile during the day, but as the sunlight started to wane they took to the woods again. No one was out on the roads. The countryside seemed like it was peaceful but eerily quiet. It was then Madoka wondered what her former princess, Elise, or Audrey was thinking. Now that all was quiet compared to the raging prophecies she's seen. The forces of the universe has placed them in this dangerous element. Madoka herself did not know how to process her own traumas.

Her feelings.

Her love.

Her fears.

In Madoka's mind, however, were not many thoughts. She simply did not know what to do. Audrey did not utter a single word as they trudged along and Madoka considered her to be the one with the plans. Was she looking ahead? Did she have more visions of the future? Madoka looked once more at the softness her beautiful cheeks. Night fell quickly, so they hunkered down for now. Madoka heard no animals. No enemies. When the time came for them to rest, Madoka fell a tall pine tree over with a single kick. Audrey looked surprised but gave up trying to understand how much strength those relics gave Madoka.

Later, two prepared a campfire and planned the nightwatch shifts but Madoka felt calm. Nervous. Electrified. Peace. They swirled around like the wind blowing leaves in the crispy air.

Was it Elise or Audrey?

Was it her newfound strength?

Was it her newfound freedom?

Audrey was asleep first so Madoka watched first. She would pick her friend up and run if she detected danger nearby. Audrey did not have any weapons besides that knife she used to chop up her hair. She did her exercises in the meantime to stave off her anxiousness. A former maid in the woods, doing exercises no one has ever heard of. Madoka could no longer laugh at the unbelievable ridiculousness of their situation. They were but refugees from a cruel fate. This was not how two fourteen year olds should be spending their birthday — desperately trying to compact the creeping sadness of a once thriving world they once stood stable on.

Like that strange neon world Madoka dreamed of when she was... Madoka shook her head at the memory. Let it fade like the embers of the dissipating fire before her. She also did not know how to inform Audrey that she made it to her birthday alive. Both of them now, were now fourteen.

Some time later, Audrey stirred and woke. Madoka turned to her and nodded without a word. She dragged wood to the firepit and snapped. Fire spit from thin air, settling in a new dance routine upon the log. Then she just stood up and stared up at the stars above. During their time at the Estate, she mentioned people from her original world wished upon a falling star. The look on her face haunted Madoka, a mix of harrowing eyes and solemn yet a wavering throat deluged with sadness.

She was not wishing.

What would Madoka wish for? As Audrey stood there and stared at the stars, fully turned so Madoka could not see her eyes. For a moment, she was left to indulge in her fantasies. She knew what she would wish for. Audrey's happiness. For the stars to pale in comparison of her twinkling irises, bursting with the heaven's light. For her to see everything in wondrous amazement and peace within all things.

Moonlight slid off her hacked hair and bare shoulders. Madoka wanted to scold her and say she will crane her neck by looking up like that but the silence was significant. Audrey turned to face Madoka, as if she sensed her stare from behind. The two stared at each other, when Madoka looked into Audrey's soul and found glossiness, the resolve weakening within those azure eyes. The sky was clear enough with the stars above and their cascading blues, their oranges dying in final moments, their silvery gleaming whites. Audrey fell to her knees and collapsed on Madoka.

Like the moonlight on Audrey's shoulders slipping down her skin, so did her tears om Madoka's own shoulders. She held Audrey in a tight embrace for awhile before she simply wiped her tears and sat besides Madoka only to rest her head on her arm. Audrey was not quite tall enough to reach Madoka's shoulders.

"H-Happy birthday, Audrey," Madoka croaked.

"Mm," Audrey's only response came. "Hey, Madoka?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Heh."

"Oh, sorry, Audrey."

"It's fine, it's cute," Audrey unrolled the blankets and pat them. "Your turn to sleep."

"With a fine person like you around me?" Madoka absentmindedly muttered. "I could never."

"What did you say?"

"I can't sleep," Madoka told her, watching the flames. Audrey contemplated for a moment before reaching an idea in her head.

"I get that," Audrey mused. "I haven't been this nervous and relieved at the same time. It's... Exhilarating."

"You feel that way, too?"

The former princess nodded. Madoka guessed she no longer had visions by her demeanor alone. Therefore she was happy for Audrey.

"I know!" She said, jumping up and stretching. Was the cheerfulness a mere facade? Time would only tell in secret increments. "We can share stories! Scary stories!"

"P-People don't do that, Audrey," Madoka stammered. She could handle some scary things, but Audrey's unpredictability was beyond scary. Madoka reiterated herself in desperation. "They don't do that, do they?"

"Aw, don't be a scaredy-cat!" Audrey said. "Let me cook!"

"Cook what?"

"It's a saying—" Audrey paused at sound Madoka's stomach demanding food. "Fine, I'll actually cook! Check this out. I can pull meat out of my pocket!"

With that, she pulled a slab of meat out from her pocket and ran a stick through it. Then she pulled a kiln from her robe and smirked. Madoka guessed that she channeled the portal underneath her cloak. It did not make the process any less alien to her, but Madoka was determined to look as nonplussed as she could.

"Ta-da! Sheesh, tough crowd," Audrey sighed. She propped two other branches for the meat and kiln to hang over and cook. Madoka was impressed. "So, I'm going to share a little secret with you: I burned most of the palace's West Wing."

"What?"

"Yeah! It was a lot of fun!" Audrey laughed. She got bitter again. "Running from those vines, watching my servants die, getting cornered by my Brother... You know, I might have ruined the vision by being the one who burned part of the palace. We'll never know!"

"T-To think you could," Madoka was worried.

"Oh, come on, it's not like I had a choice!" Audrey said defensively.

"It's not that I am worried about you burning the palace," Madoka gasped. "It's just how large of a fire can you make with magic...!"

"Look, Madoka. I promise I will be safe with my fire magic, okay? I no longer set myself on fire anyways," Audrey pouted.

"Just how large of a fire can you—"

"Ding, ding! Meat's done!" Audrey cleared her throat. She split the sizzling meat with wind magic and handed one half to Madoka. "Don't ask me what animal this was, I just know it's meat I scooped up. I stopped by everywhere in the palace, but especially the kitchen, you know. It's also really hot!"

Madoka held the meat up effortlessly and tore through it with her teeth like a beast.

It's tasty, Madoka thought. Audrey still ate like a Royal. Madoka taught her how to eat, but she no longer cared as she tore through the meat. Audrey did not mind, seeing her friend eat must have been enough for her to be happy.

"It's good right?" Audrey asked, leaning in to wipe Madoka's face with a cloth. Madoka nodded enthusiastically. "The meat tastes kind of plain, but we don't got much to choose from."

Madoka did not care about the taste. What was it that made it taste good? She pondered for a moment before noticing Audrey's caring and kind face. It was camaraderie. Kinship in the face of overwhelming hardships. It was the taste of a bond being forged.

"Tell me," Audrey spoke up. "Do you remember anything after you died? Well, besides the stabbing part. Second thought, it's probably a bad thing to talk about but I'm so curious!"

"I remember," Madoka said after some time, tossing the stick that held the meat into the fire. She felt sleepy now. "I remember that I made a wish to see you again."

"Did you meet a god?" Audrey asked, her eyes twinkling in the starlight. "What was that like?"

"I don't remember much," Madoka lied. "Just that I was falling into oblivion."

"Ah, that sounds fun. Sorry for bringing it up," Audrey apologized. "You look tired now, Madoka. Get some rest. A town isn't too far off from where we are so we'll need..."

Madoka was already fast asleep before Audrey finished her sentence.

Later, she woke to rain sprinkling on her nose. She stretched and felt something soft on her left side. It was Audrey's arm. Madoka sighed. What good was a night watch if she is just going to fall asleep? She poked Audrey's nose.

"I'm awake!" She sputtered and sprung up. Madoka noticed the dragon tattoo on her arm. It has been some time since she has taken notice of it. "Did not let my guard down! Not even for a second!"

"Elise. Audrey. Audrey Elise," Madoka rolled her eyes. Audrey looked at her offended. "You're supposed to be on watch."

"I was watching," she said with a sigh. "I was watching you."

"For other things. Not me," Madoka snapped. She got up and watched the dragon tattoo crawl back up Audrey's shoulder. Madoka gave a stretch and pulled a sleepy Audrey up from the ground. "It's time to go find that town you were talking about."

Madoka found it odd that she did not feel cramped after getting up. Maybe it was the relics' power within her. Perhaps it was all of her nights sleeping on the ground in various positions that trained her to be able to be comfortable after sleeping. She wanted to groan at the thought but Audrey stretched and fully straightened out.

"Right," she said. "It's quite a ways away, but hopefully we'll be able to get information from locals or something. I don't know!"

"You don't?" Madoka asked.

"Yeah, well," Audrey said. "Didn't think this far. Maybe a super convenient event will happen that'll take us to a clasdic starter town and we'll get info there! Maybe we'll become adventurers in a guild!"

"Guild? Event?" Madoka asked.

Audrey hopped up on a log and turned to Madoka.

"I read about that stuff on a book before," she said. "The Adventurer Guild is a thing in this world. It is kind of cliché, wouldn't you think? Someone's got to go into the spooky labyrinths of this world, of course, so they made an organization for it. There's possibly a bunch of other boring things that adventurers do. And dumb progression systems."

"What if I don't want to go into one?" Madoka said. Audrey hopped off the log and they began to walk the trail she pointed out on the map. "What about that?"

"Then we won't do that!" Audrey said cheerfully. Her sudden consideration for Madoka made her concerned. "Don't look at me like that! If there's too much risk involved with those strange labyrinths then I definitely won't."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"I don't believe you'll stay true to that, Audrey," Madoka said as they approached a hill. The frost began to form icy crystals on the trees. The forest was teeming with many animal thoughts, like fruit before it goes rotten. They'll have to hunt in there eventually. Audrey said nothing but stood there halfway up the hill and watching the flakes of snow begin to fall.

"Say, Doka," Audrey said, throwing her hood on. She held her palm out and watched the snowflakes land on her gloves.

"Don't push your luck by calling me that," Madoka snapped. She still had trouble calling her Audrey. Should she go by a different name? Madoka shook the thought out of her head. Audrey scrunched up her nose.

"Do you smell something odd in the air?"

"What?" Madoka sniffed. It was... "Smoke."

"That's not right," Audrey started heading faster up the hill. "There's supposed to be a town below this hill. Hurry!"

Madoka climbed up after her but Audrey already stopped.

"Audrey?"

Audrey pointed downward. Madoka looked on with horror at the sight. Just below at the foot of the hill lay the burning remains of the town in razed radius. The flames left their scars in the dirt between the snow and the destroyed buildings.

"Well," Audrey's lips quivered. "W-We were too late."

III.

The two trudged hurriedly down through the thick and crunchy snow. Madoka said nothing and simply steeled herself the best she could. There were going to be dead people down in that town. She knew that, but deep down inside she was scared. Audrey stopped just before they came across the ruins of a building. It appeared to be built like a barn. Or used to be one.

"These tracks are recent," Audrey looked at them in the snow. "No dark manas in the area which means my brother hasn't gotten here, but it still looks like an army passed through here. This was more like a village to stomp over than a town."

"Army?"

"They carved through here to the main road," Audrey said, thinking aloud. "Perhaps it was the one that invaded the capital. Maybe those troops were not the king's army at all and rather... maybe Esmeralda's troops."

"A foreign nation's army?" Madoka wondered. Audrey nodded.

"It's all conjecture, but maybe my time back in the study proved my theory right," Audrey said. "Someone either sold news to the other nations that this place was caving in or the lack of security on the borders caused other nations to become bolder."

Madoka peered around the barn's ruins. There were no dead animals within, thankfully. Even if there was, she felt like she had to be ready for an attacker. The building before her lay in ruins that stood out of the snow like bones of a giant burnt ribcage, reaching towards the sky for help as the tiny flames gathered at their tips. Brittle. Collapsed. It was a hopeless sight. Most of the other buildings looked the same way. At the corner of the barn, however, was something that caught Madoka's eye.

It was a wooden box, seemingly one with the ground and calling to her. Audrey was rambling about something as she usually did, but all Madoka could think about was the security of that box. The kind of hidden serenity that sat as low as it could muster from the cold, uncaring universe above offered itself to Madoka. The only kind of calmness that could be felt by embracing the rough texture of the wood within and curling up. Everything would be okay so long as Madoka had a moment inside that wondrous box.

She gave in and clamored up inside of it behind Audrey's notice. Resting on her knees and forearms, Madoka finally felt at peace. It was a tight fit, but she was flexible enough and found the cramped space a formidable and comforting ally against all the sights she will see. It was as if each of the four sides were there for her, patting her as she stared out at Audrey.

"— Which is why the army moved in. Wait," Audrey shrieked. Kind gods! She finally noticed Madoka! "Madoka! Why are you loafing in that box? What are you, some kind of cat?"

Madoka simply sat in the loafing position and looked silently at Audrey's dismay. She caused that look. And the box told her it was okay that she did.

"At least meow or something!"

Madoka still sat in that box silently.

"Okay then, I'll go scout out the area," Audrey reached out to pat Madoka's head, but she hissed. "Come on, you don't meow but you hiss? Even in this life cats don't like me. Tch!"

Audrey scooted another similar box close to Madoka in an attempt to coax her out of the one she was in but Madoka just looked at it.

"I don't want that one," Madoka said, the conviction in her voice stronger than any steel. "I want this one."

"The one that you are in," Audrey said, exasperated. "Okay, I'll put that one in the storage portal, okay?"

Madoka contemplated for a minute. Then she hopped out of the box and briskly pushed the dust off her knees and arms. Audrey was about to shove the box in the portal and when Madoka hissed again.

"I don't want it anymore," she concluded. Audrey sighed. She could not take it anymore so she left the barn, stating something about cats.

Madoka followed her without saying much. There were burnt remains all around her. They were possibly people but Madoka did her best to ignore them. Audrey's eyes were focused on something unseeable, but there was no fear like when she saw those evil roots.

"They scoured everything here," Audrey mused. "Then burned everything else down."

Something glinted in the corner of Madoka's vision. Carrion birds' hungry thoughts flew in circles above a certain area. It was near the largest ruins in the village. She pushed a red braid out of her eyes for a better view. Audrey gasped when she saw the gruesome sight.

"Is that a medal?" Audrey asked as Madoka approached it. A pendant? She winced. A frozen and charred hand gripped it. The victim was covered in a burned down wood. What was left of the body, that is. Madoka tore it off the body and kneeled down to take the pendant.

For awhile, the two stared at the remains. The wind blew snow over most of the blood but the face haunted Madoka. She placed her hand on the frosted fingers that held onto the pendant, but instead of taking it she clicked it opened and revealed the picture within the locket. It was quiet as Madoka looked at the dead person and back at the photo.

The dead body was a woman with part of her face burned off. Distinctive red hair flowed from her head. Another body was near her, a man's body wearing a noble's coat. His head was missing. Madoka shook her head and left the pendant alone.

"Do you think..." Audrey's voice was quiet, choking with shock. The red haired woman looked like Madoka, but she dismissed her and looked away.

"They're not," Madoka said, crushing the pendant and hand beneath her boot. Both shattered like ice crumbling. She did not want Audrey to see the photo. She walked away and fell to the ground again. "Family wouldn't give their daughter away. That's what you said, right?

Audrey stayed silent and tried to place a hand on Madoka, but one look from her caused her to pull it back.

"I'm sorry for even mentioning it," Audrey whispered and cried.

"That's what you said, right!?" Madoka howled to no one in particular. No, she knew exactly who she was yelling to. "Kind gods, what reason did you bring me here? To suffer?"

She screamed at the sky but in the end, only the wind howled. Those were not her parents. Madoka wailed for hours. Her voice hoarse and she was retching. To her side, Audrey did not move. She seemed hesitant on what to do but resorted to just listening to her friend let everything out. As the two sat in the snow, night began to fall.

"You're right," Audrey finally said. Madoka glared at her with stinging red eyes, but she noticed Audrey was crying for her. "I did say family shouldn't give up on each other."

She stood up and looked across the remains of the village's street before extending a hand.

"I won't give up on you or give you away," she said. Madoka's knees were stiff from sitting in one position for those long hours but she finally took Audrey's hand. The pair left that dead red haired noblewoman in the snow as a gift for the carrion birds flying overhead.

"This town was meaningless," Madoka said. "Where to next?"

After scavenging and coming up with nothing except a box for Madoka, the two departed down a barren road. There was no one around and everything was eerily quiet.

"This must be what the Apocalypse feels like," Audrey mused.

"That word," Madoka remembered that the word had a horrible meaning, but she did not know what it meant.

"Just means that all of mankind is dead. Destruction. The world has ended. You know, little things. We'll go west down this path," Audrey switched the subject. "The further west we go, the closer we meet these kind gods. These relics will start making a fuss when we do. Or another town. I hate to say it, but this country's finished. There's only death. Maybe one day I'll return here to get my stupid crown but we have to survive this."

"Crown?" Madoka wondered. She had forgotten that all Royals had crowns. She wondered if other countries were as horrible as this was.

"I cast it into a well. Oh well. One day, I'll get stronger and return to this kingdom," Audrey said with resolve. "I will give my brother exactly what he deserves for all of this. But especially what he's done to you."

Madoka wanted to say there was no need but the swarm of carrion birds' thoughts rose ahead.

"There is death ahead," she warned Audrey, sniffing. Audrey nodded. There was the stench of rot filling her nose already. The source of it was over the small hill they were climbing on. "Prepare yourself."

"Say, do you think zombies are a thing in this world?" Audrey asked.

"Dude," Madoka sighed. She didn't know what a zombie was but it sounded like yet another strange thing from her old world. She held Audrey's hand to prepare for yet another sight. She was asking weird questions to mask her own fears for Madoka's sake. It was night time but the two both knew they were not going to be able to sleep anyways. "Up ahead. Birds."

"Copy that," Audrey whispered. The two finally made it to the top of the hill and observed below. "A battlefield?"

It was indeed a mess of two armies. The majority of dead soldiers that lie there wore crests that Madoka was not familiar with. A strange sun symbol with a green bird facing left emblazoned on their coats. They were peppered in arrows which the birds ate around until their bones showed.

The birds had to do what they had to do to survive, right? Madoka started to feel like this was simply nature taking its course. If the two girls were not standing amidst these dead bodies the world would not stop and listen to the sound of the birds eating. If that was true, maybe it applied to all of mankind as a whole. A captain nearby was twitching. He was wearing a more decorated emblem, crushed by his dead horse and slowly but surely bleeding out. His eye was falling out his skull but his free one was watching Madoka. His voice was coarse and his arms were scarred from fighting off the birds. He made a gurgling noise but gestured to Madoka.

Audrey was busy scavenging other things and plugging her nose. Madoka figured she might as well hear the dead man out. Perhaps, the kind gods were truly preparing her for worse things to come. And perhaps there was a blackness inside her heart because the ghastly sight of these sorry soldiers strewn across the bloody hill did not affect her as much as that woman did. The soldier reached a stub for an arm out at her.

"Hey... you..." He uttered in Noble. "You... you are an angel, right?"

He grew more hysterical as Madoka watched him. She did not know what to say but she bowed to him.

"Take me away!" He begged, with more viscera spilling out his lungs and neck. "My... axe... my angel..."

The man uttered his final words. Madoka could not look at him any longer and puked at the sight. After heaving a bit, she did locate the axe embedded in another captain's head. Or maybe it was not his but another soldier's axe. With a single pull, she ripped the axe out of the dead man's skull and did her best to ignore the sickening sound that twisted the air as she did.

She found what she needed on this bloody hill and evidently so did Audrey. Audrey noticed the bloodstained axe but nodded in silent communication. Both of the girls departed the scene quietly until the scent of death only remained on them. They veered off the trail and set up a camp after Madoka detected no thoughts nearby.

"Bath time!" Audrey cheered. "That animal whisper ability is pretty cool, you know."

"I-It's a bit embarrassing to have," Madoka said. "Considering I don't know why I have it and can't use magic."

She froze up when Audrey ran cold soapy hands over her back. After cleaning her, Audrey retrieved the storage talisman. From the portal, she also took the box of and dumped a strange liquid to clean it and warned Madoka to stay away from the liquid. Madoka watched as she dropped the weapons inside the box. Whatever liquid she was using to treat those blades made the blood clean off easily. That axe the soldier "gave" her, however, remained as bloody as it was when she got it.

Madoka absently washed her former princess. Though she has changed her outlook and gone through many things these past days, washing her friend was something she could do blindfolded. The living tattoo glistened on her back, causing goosebumps to show. It must be exasperating to have such a scar, Madoka thought. She felt the princess's smooth skin and then latched onto her from behind in a naked embrace.

"Madoka?" Audrey asked. Her warmth was too smooth.

"S-Sorry," Madoka pulled away. "We just haven't done that it awhile, have we?"

"N-No," Audrey folded her arms and shivered. Normally, she would jump at the opportunity to grope Madoka but this night she remained vulnerable. She looked cute when she was bashful which fueled Madoka's curiosity. Yet, the thoughts of birds overhead distracted Madoka. They were in unknown territory and alone in the woods so Madoka did not do anything else. She knew it would leave Audrey bothered and embarrassed.

One by one, the soap bubbles popped out of existence. Audrey dried the weapons, after wiping off each of them. And the two had fresh traveler's clothes, washed by Madoka herself. She wondered if they could just build a house somewhere but decided against that idea. A passing army could raze it like that town.

"Ah, inventory management!" Audrey stood above the weaponry. Are young people like them supposed to be excited over objects designed to take other individual lives? She guessed so, hearing some of the eager talks of the new soldiers patrolling the Palace. They had hopes of joining their comrades in the front lines. These theatres that were far away are much closer then ever now, Madoka thought. Violence could be around every corner.

"2 Bows! 24 Arrows! Quiver!" Audrey threw each item of war in her portal. "A short sword I'll never use! A short sword for you that you will probably not use! And my axe! Sorry, your axe! That thing looks metal AF. Wicked."

She tossed the two weapons to Madoka. She held the axe in wonder. Blood tipped its brutal blade and it had strange etchings on its side. It was illegible due to how its various dents but Audrey said it appeared to be enchanted or something like that. An enchanted axe, Madoka inspected it. It had a small chain that let her hang it from her side but it was not as heavy as the one Lord Leopride gave her. She decided to not give the axe a name. It was simply a tool for war but having it by her side comforted her. Madoka sheathed the sword underneath the axe. It was dwarfed by its size.

"Say," Madoka said over a crackling campfire sometime later. "Whatever happened to Lord Leopride and Lord Zeron?"

"Beats me," Audrey said, munching on a sandwich. "Told them, 'hey, guys, so there's probably a lot of enemy troop mobilization in the east.' And like a voicemail, they did not listen to me... They're probably fighting for their lives as we speak. Those eastern jungles are no joke to fight in, but still after today..."

A bit of water formed at her eyes. She shook her head.

"Today, I just don't know if war is all that easy even for them," she said, her voice quivering. "I'll be fine. I keep telling myself that, but are we ever going to be fine? In my old world, war was depicted in art. Movies, videogames, even literature. It's like that here, probably in some lucky people's lives. It's less powerful in my old peaceful world because people can sit back and hear about it but the next day they'll forget about how damn awful it is. To be guarded and ignorant of all the death happening...! But here in this damn world... It's everywhere. It's just..."

"Easy, Audrey," Madoka said. "Just eat."

Audrey ate silently while Madoka reminisced over the bloody hills they traversed.

IV.

"This is a bow," Audrey pulled the weapon out of the storage portal. Madoka watched in horror as the princess stretched the string out after putting in a considerable amount of effort. "You nock an arrow-"

"Yes I know what a bow is, Audrey," Madoka snatched the weapon from her. She was worried that Audrey would injure herself with it somehow. More importantly, she was crabby from traveling so far and not having much to eat.

"Okay, but like," Audrey tried to explain but gave up and took arrows from the portal. "It's a heavy weapon. Nothing helping you draw, no compound mechanisms or anything. Are you sure?"

"Shut it. Just tell me where to shoot."

"Okay, uhh," Audrey scanned the forest. Madoka breathed in her first technique and nocked the arrow. "There's one over there! About a football field away, er, like one hundred meters that way."

Madoka heard the deer's thoughts and silently asked for forgiveness before firing the arrow. It hissed through the air with its quiet song of death, only pushing aside the branches as gently as the breeze. The deer's thoughts ceased abruptly a moment later.

"I got it," Madoka said firmly, although she wanted to breakdown. She understood what was at stake if they do not hunt.

"What?"

"Let's go," Madoka tossed the arrows and bow into the portal before strutting towards her felled target.

"Are you certain? Madoka!" Audrey chased after her. "Wait for me!"

The two stood over the corpse a moment later.

"Bullseye," Audrey gawked. Madoka yanked the arrow outside of her game's head. The projectile was still usable although it was covered in odorous matter. "This deer has six eyes. How creepy."

"Creepy?" Madoka looked at the dead creature's wide eyes. They were frozen in its final moment. She once again apologized to it for her actions. Audrey drew a knife.

"Now this is gonna be hella gross," she remarked. "W-We're going to gut this thing now, okay? And by we, I mean me. You can look away if this is going to bother you or something."

"A-Are you certain you know what you're doing?"

"Nope! I never had to gut anything in my previous life," Audrey said, twirling the knife in her hand. "And you know, I was a princess this time. So..."

"Okay, okay," Madoka said. Audrey flipped the beast over.

"If there's anything I learned from biology class, we start with... here!"

After some time, Audrey was a bloody mess. Not with her own but she looked terrifying.

"This thing has a lot of different organs than what I remember from those frogs..." Audrey remarked. The organs were tossed aside. "I think food remains fresh in this portal, so we can skin this thing later on. Maybe we can get washed together!"

Madoka's hair raised. Distant thoughts were sneaking upon them. It would seem that the two girls were not alone. They were not the only hungry ones in this forest. Not that Madoka knew where she was.

"Madoka?"

"It seems like we have visitors," Madoka said, pulling out her axe. She has never been in actual combat before. Could she...? No. As the distant howling of approaching predators drew near, Madoka knew she must emerge successful here.

"Naeee waaah!" Audrey whined. But Madoka could sense the bloodlust boiling inside of her friend as she focused. "Well, it's time for our first combat scenario! Remember your training!"

"T-That's exactly what I'm going to do," Madoka muttered. Several shadows flashed around her but her senses could keep up. These were mere pack beasts and their speed reeked of desperation.

Hunger.

Flee!

Give in.

Death.

Hunger.

More howling but Madoka could sense one pouncing at her from behind.

"Madoka!" Audrey shouted. "A wolf's behind you."

Madoka whirled around to see the beast's claws closing in upon her. More importantly for Madoka, however, was the sight of its neck. Instinct seized Madoka and with a savage swing she watched the beast's head fly off into the forest, sprinkling the snow with fresh blood. With a Cherish style side-step, Madoka dodged the headless wolf's collapsing charge and focused on the next wolf.

Each had a set of four glowing red eyes but they faltered as they learned their prey was anything but easy. Madoka roared loud, shaking the snow off the low branches of winter-worn trees. Audrey evidently cut another one up with her wind blades, but she was unsure of herself. Four sets of four eyes each remained circling around them.

"Get yourself together, Audrey!" Madoka shouted at her.

"R-Right," Audrey stared at her glowing hands. Her voice shook, but Madoka had no time to check on her. Amidst the circling beasts, Madoka could sense one that was much more intelligent and stronger.

That one must be the leader. It snarled as the remaining wolves cowered. Madoka stomped defiantly in front of the two dead wolves at her feet. It was an invitation to its demise, Madoka growled, hopefully this smarter wolf would give it up and cut its losses.

"D-Don't suppose you think it'll flee, right?" Audrey's quivering voice slowly was rebuilding its confidence. Harsh growling emanated through the beast. Its thoughts murderous and hungry.

Wind howled, but its growl was louder.

"Save your breath," Madoka scolded Audrey through gritted teeth. The pack leader suddenly perked up, abandoning its anger and at the same time Madoka's hair rose again. A horrible darkness was approaching their position.

Madoka's eyes darted. From where was this terrible feeling coming from? The wolves burst into a full retreat. Dammit, Madoka thought. They could not flee as fast as those wolves on foot from whatever was closing in on them.

"Wh—" Audrey stumbled. "Are you making it do that?"

"Get down!" Madoka shoved Audrey as hard as she could from herself and leapt away. The ground tore apart as a black lightning spell leveled the spot they were at. Madoka felt the wind stinging her cheeks as she flung across the forest through small trees. Audrey landed somewhere close by.

"You... shoved me!" Audrey complained.

"Where the hell did your fighting spirit go?" Madoka shot back.

"Well, if you put it that way..." Audrey said. She was breathing hard. "This is supposed to be like a tutorial zone. The heck did you—"

Crunching sounds interrupted their bickering. Madoka's ears perked up. It was not the snow collapsing off snapped branches. It was the sound of bones crunching. Whoever — or whatever — cast that spell at them was devouring the deer and wolves the girls slew.

"You don't suppose that's another wolf, do you?" Madoka asked, brandishing her axe again. Stomping was heard approaching them slowly. Trees were falling over as the big creature was sniffing for the girls.

"No, Madoka," Audrey stated. Her magic core flared. "I don't think so."

As the wet sniffing and gutteral growls approached, the creature emerged. It was unlike anything Madoka could dream of, standing twice as tall as her and larger than even the trees surrounding it.

"Naee waah!" Audrey complained. "You would think our first quest would be like saving kittens from a tree or something! Not slay like a raid boss!"

It was the largest bear Madoka's ever seen. Strange murky black tentacles wriggled half of its face and strange rune symbols carved along its fur. More tentacles emerged from the runes. Black lightning darted along its right side, seemingly hurting the beast. There were no thoughts from this animal, Madoka realized as the two girls backed away from it slowly. Was it already dead?

"One, two, three!" Audrey murmured. "Three pairs of massive legs. Bro what the hell!"

"I have no idea if it knows what you're talking about," Madoka said, realizing that they were as far as they could go. "But I don't think it cares."

Bloody scraps dripped from its maw as it growled at the two. Madoka's hand tingled as she gripped her axe. A battle to the death was at hand. The beast before her seemed like it was already wounded but its size blotted out the moons behind it. The recognizable half of its face looked like a bear's. Madoka reached for its thoughts, but instead four of its red glowing eyes glared at her. The other four on its right side were blotted out by the dark tentacles.

Instantly, the tentacles reached for her and the beast wasted no time on roaring and opted for a clever strike.

"Madoka!"

Madoka heard Audrey scream but it was too late.

A tentacle swung at her and Madoka's world went upside down from the blow. Pain erupted through her stomach, but she still could breathe. That strike was much faster than the illusory Lord Leopride she fought. She careened through a tree, then another, and finally smashed into an unyielding tree. Shock fell over her as her vision refused to straighten out. She sputtered, realizing she was running out of time.

Was she always this weak?

"Answer me, kind gods!" Madoka drew her sword. Her axe flung somewhere in the depths of the woods when she was sent flying. Her eyes were blinded and something was coming straight to her. Madoka gave a quick slash skyward, catching flesh and bone with her blade. Black, viscous liquid splattered the snow. Madoka's vision recovered.

"Am I destined to serve you and the princess? Am I supposed to waste these gifts in my veins?"

She heard a loud gutteral roar, as if there was a thousand twisting branches snapping all at once in the beast's throat. It choked as Madoka saw the aftermath of her swing. A bloody and blackened stump remained instead of its left foreleg. It pounded the ground in anguish, causing Madoka to struggle for balance. Did she really cause that much damage to such a huge beast?

More, Madoka thought as it glared at her. I can do much more than just a foreleg.

"I have to!"

The beast's neck twisted unnaturally and it convulsed as it tried to stand back up. To her horror, tentacles of darkness from the side of its face weaved into each other and began to form a new leg for it to stand on.

"No you won't!" Madoka gripped her sword and dashed to the regenerating leg.

As she closed in, the bear's eyes turned purple. No... Another attack? Madoka cursed herself for falling for it. A tentacle with a mouth with sharp teeth at its end bit her shoulder, making her howl in pain. It pulled her off her feet and above the beast's gaping jaw. Madoka lurched but saw multiple rows of jagged fangs within its maw.

This cannot be the end...! Madoka was suspended in air by the tentacle's bite like a puppet. Red strands began to fall from the sky around her head. Was that her hair? She realized that the massive tentacle clipped one of her braids off. As she almost slipped into unconsciousness, she thought it was silly that all she was worried about was her hair being slashed.

The air began to hiss and static shocked her exposed skin as she dangled there. Through the pain, Madoka looked on in horror as black lightning began to form around it.

"I-I," Madoka's teeth clacked violently together as she convulsed by the electricity. "Refuse to die!"

"Oh hell no you don't! Let her go! Wind blade!" Madoka heard a voice ring out. "Bubble beam!"

Familiar green blades of winds pierced the air above her feet and freed her from the tentacle.

Bubble beam? Madoka thought incredulously as she began to plummet to the forest ground. What kind of attack spell is bubble beam?

Hundreds of bubbles sprayed in the bear's face, each reflecting starlight as they shattered directly on its eyes. It was like they were galaxies of their own, surrounded by a deadly and translucent layer. The popping noises made Madoka grin.

"So that's bubble beam," Madoka muttered as she struggled to flip her body using another Cherish stance. It was too late. Her stance was halfway due to her legs shutting down from the lightning spells the beast used on her. She could not feel any pain but she knew the crunching noises from her legs shattering and breaking would not help her in this fight. Her sword clanged on the ground next to her.

"So what?" Madoka angrily said, teetering and collapsing on the ground involuntarily. It was like someone pushed her from a spot she could not recover from. "It's just a flesh wound! I won't hold back!"

"Madoka!" Audrey's scream pierced through the bear's roars. It was stumbling back, causing more trees to topple over under its mighty frame. Madoka was pulling herself and her useless legs to the sword but stopped at the sound of her name. "Look at you! You're a mess."

"For you," Madoka gasped, grabbing the hilt of the sword. "Run..."

Right, Madoka thought. She was doing this all for her. Her princess was kneeling over her, clutching the Six-Armed Goddess talisman.

"Heal her, please," Audrey whispered to it. Immediately, Madoka felt her legs and shoulders again, hearing the sickening pop of them reforming back to normal. An alien feeling overtook her as she watched the exposed bone reseal itself beneath skin that grew over it. She shuddered and hopped back up on her feet. Audrey tucked the glowing talisman away. From there, she looked to Madoka. "It ain't over, until it's over! Take this. That sword didn't last very long but this... It seems to have been left lying around in the snow."

With that, Audrey pulled out the blood-red axe for Madoka. Madoka nodded and took it, casting the shattered sword away.

"Thanks," she kept her voice low. Her clothes were torn and the wind whipped her exposed skin but that was the least of her issues. Her hair was also one braid short. The two stared lovingly at each other before snapping out of it. Trees were crashing down as the noise grew louder. In a short timespan, this battle left a calamity of burnt remains and craters strewn across this entire area, Madoka observed.

From the edge of the woods, the huge bear lumbered towards them. Its furious lightning bolts struck out at seemingly anything and even worse, its foreleg grew back.

"Alright, you bastard," Madoka growled. "I will take you down."

"Yeah!" Audrey jumped and threw a triumphant punch in the air. "You get 'em!"

Madoka rolled her eyes but the master of the forest had already arrived.

"I'll distract it!" Audrey said. "Go!"

In Madoka's mind, the idea of Audrey attacking a colossal beast like this instead of fleeing appalled her. However, a faint voice eventually over took her own thoughts. It was Lord Leopride, taunting her.

"You are big, but I am bigger," Madoka remembered him saying. "Remember your training, do not take hits head on."

"Got it," Madoka's fist balled around the handle of her axe. "But I will become better!"

A barrage of bubbles and wind swords flew over Madoka's head, striking the beast. Madoka could sense there were still tentacles going after her. She charged anyways, employing as many Cherish dodges she could think of with ease.

Was it truly the training that made her a warrior? Or was it because Audrey was by her side lighting the flames in her soul up?

Madoka did not wait to hear another one of Lord Leopride's reminders. She hefted her axe and released a mighty swing.

One leg. Fur, blood and snow let loose like shattered specks of dust. She will clean this mess or die trying!

A massive paw accompanied by a lightning wreathed tentacle came at her like a falling star.

Two legs. The howl's volume from the bear matched the violence in Madoka's gleaming eyes. It was collapsing!

"I am no longer halfhearted anymore, you hear me?" Madoka smashed through the other legs like they were the boulders from back in her simpler days of training. "Towering beast or not I will slay you!"

The final leg. Madoka has deemed herself no longer half-heartedly. The monstrosity tumbled over. She saw what was left of the rest of its body and gasped. It was covered head to its stumps in wounds from Audrey's Wind Blades. The tentacles were struggling to regenerate as Madoka walked up to Audrey who was ragged from casting a lot of magic. Her core flickered like a weak candlelight as she tried to move and cast another spell but Madoka stopped her.

Free me.

The bear's four purple eyes were greying as they begged her to deliver death to it. Madoka gripped her axe and approached it. The tentacles bit at her but Madoka ignored them as she rose her axe above an exposed wound in its massive head. The beast must have been the size of several Royal Carriages. Silently, she plunged her bloody axe into its skull.

The tentacles stopped growing and its eyes lost their color.

"Raid... boss... down!" Audrey breathed heavily.

Madoka fell to her knees and roared as loud as she could. It was her way of letting out her relief and excess energy. After awhile, she turned to a terrified Audrey and then tentatively asked one question:

"Can we eat it?"