IX.

Audrey was warm enough for the both of them as Madoka trudged onward. She lost her cloak to the winds so she only had a light traveler's coat on. Still, even that was soaked from climbing down the mountain. The frost-covered coat did not bother her, however; she was more worried that they would run into people. The frame of a wooden structure peered over a small hill so the girls opted to explore it. Everything here seemed peaceful and she did not sense any hostile thoughts around her.

That bear really did terrorize everyone here. The lumber mill had three charred buildings at the site and bear markings everywhere. Madoka's ears stretched to hear more thoughts but nothing was around for miles. There were many sections of razed trees and carved ground that traced sweeping paths along the riverbank. She could still smell the peculiar smell of burning from lightning strikes. Later, the two found craters punched into gravel splotches like torn hair from a scalp behind the saw facility.

"Dang, nature is scary," Audrey mumbled. "Still, there's probably stuff in this place for us to, ah, borrow."

"Borrow, huh?" Madoka sighed. She meandered to the first building which appeared to be a large cabin. The door showed signs of neglect and stood tall despite being beaten down by the weather. She kicked it down anyways.

No sign of life inside but it sure beat shivering outside, Madoka supposed as she scanned the room. The place was cozy with a small window viewing the white fingers of clouds and mountain reaching into the sky. She could hear a river frothing beneath sheets of ice near the largest building next to them from the maw of a mountainside. Tufts of white fluffed the corners of the window panes. Madoka could imagine men working out here for days and nights but there were no beds here.

"Nothing of value here," Madoka shrugged. Audrey agreed so the two set off to explore the mill itself. A lot of tracks crossed over the river ice and pathways through this lumber mill, Madoka noticed. An army probably crossed through this place to Fiara.

"Wow," Audrey said on Madoka's back. The two looked up at the saw's blade. "No jigs or any machines. Just a waterpowered wheel and a saw. This was a real old fashioned job. They probably chopped those larger trees here and shoved them onto boats using this slide."

Madoka followed Audrey's finger to what she presumed was a slide. The structures seemed to be damaged by weapons and greedy claw marks tore sizable chunks off the walls. None of her explanations on the process of logging trees helped her at all with her current problem: Her stomach growled again.

"... Then they probably plane the irregular edges to make the logs round and uniform before shipping them to the city," Audrey rambled on before noticing her hungry maid. "Oh, right. Set me down over there. I see a firepit! Maybe I can cook the deer up there. It's probably the same thing as the bear."

Madoka carried her princess off the mill to the third building. This one seemed like a house. She hoped there would be winter supplies in there since only the kind gods knew what was in Audrey's storage talisman. She left the former princess to her own devices in front of the fire pit and pushed the door open. Madoka also could cook for her but she never mentioned it. She could prepare commoner food just as well as all her fellow slaves but Audrey's cooking was somehow exquisite back then. She never thought that medicinal herbs could be also used in cooking.

She could tell this cabin was designed for overnight stays from seeing a mess of blankets strewn across the floor. There was little else so Madoka snatched them up and got to cleaning it up. She decided they could stay overnight. It has been some time since they stayed indoors for once. Madoka peered outside to see Audrey huddled over the deer. She paused with a knife held up over it.

"I won't hurt myself, I promise!" Audrey raised an eyebrow at Madoka's gaze but she was not worried about that.

"Broom," Madoka ordered.

"Wha—" Audrey uttered a noise but quickly retrieved the broom for Madoka. Several other cleaning tools were requested, things that Madoka has gathered over their long journey. Of all weapons to combat things she hated the most, brooms were her main choice. This place was messy and she took it upon herself to ensure it was worthy of Audrey's presence. Madoka could hear the princess's complaining reaction in her head but that only drove her will to sweep up the place.

She stopped as the smell of savory meat wafted through the logging cabin. Audrey smiled as Madoka was drawn to the food. Cooked meat pierced with sticks hung over the fireplace. There was a peculiar set of meat that Madoka has never seen before.

"Dinner is done!" Audrey gestured at the firepit. Madoka noticed something next to the deer's remains. It was the dragon wing. "I have zero clue how the dragon wing is going to taste. So... You get to try it first! Yeah!"

For some reason, Madoka felt nervous that Audrey was suggesting her to eat the dragon wing meat first. Tentatively, she grabbed a stick with the strange meat and sent her prayers to the kind gods before taking a bite. The meat flaked apart and dissolved in her mouth resulting in a savory and delectable flavor. It was the sweet taste of victory over the ultimate elements; a golden moment of melting folded-over joint meat and a powerful reminder of the results of her hard work.

Seeing Madoka's satisfaction, Audrey also dug in. The sweet noise of elation from the former princess's mouth filled Madoka's ears and it encouraged her to eat more. Eventually, both girls ascended into a food heaven no one else in the world would ever discover. Perhaps it was the first time Madoka ate in awhile but she did not care. The taste was glorious.

They would eventually stay here for a couple of days. Madoka hoped that her friend's legs would heal up swiftly but secretly hoped she could still carry Audrey on her back when they eventually departed or saw signs of people coming back.

Yet the days went by and no strangers ever showed. That beam of light remained but Madoka chose not to mention it to Audrey. She simply did not know how to bring it up.

Later, she found herself one day being absentminded. It was rare to have quiet days like these now, since all the two girls did in the past few weeks was trudge through snow and now she had time to relax. Yet something stirred in her heart. A restlessness that she could not ignore crept in her mind, probably leftover habits from her old life. She hunted some more with crude arrows fashioned with rock tips while Audrey made plans and recovered. Supposedly, the Dragon Wind God challenged her personally but Madoka simply nodded as she listened to her ramble about her odd cultivation of mana and spirit stars until they went to sleep.

The sun was hidden before icy clouds, some of the days it did not bother to show itself. This abandoned and war-torn lumberyard lay next to a frozen river that continued to flow downhill. Madoka found an axe nearby and thought back to her idle days in the North Estate. She felt a hint of nostalgia as she held it. It did not speak to her hand's grip the way a war axe did. This was a mere tool never meant to taste blood. She gave it a few swings and filled the time with more idling.

Was it okay for her to be this... unproductive?

Madoka noticed there was a pile of logs strapped in next to the mill with a single snug rope. It managed to make it through the weather until she came along. She climbed on the mill with the axe and admired the view. Then she smashed the rope and released the log stack.

A loud crash reverberated the valley as the pile of logs tumbled down into the frozen river. Snapping wood and crackling ice echoed in the atmosphere followed by an endless cacophony of rushing disturbed water, Madoka idly watched it all happen. She caused that mess and she was okay with that.

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"Madoka?!" Audrey's panicked voice came from behind her. Madoka saw the small girl's worried eyes as she hobbled up the wooden stairs to investigate. She could at least move on her own now, albeit slowly. "Are you alright!?"

Madoka said nothing and just looked over the destruction she caused with apathy. Logs stuck out of the riverbank, taking other trees with them as they crashed through the ice. Audrey looked her over, then towards the cut rope and then to the disaster below them.

"You caused all of that?" Audrey's voice shook with horror. "What are you? Are you actually some kind of cat?"

Madoka shrugged and trotted back to the cabin to sleep.

"Okay, since your cat-like tendencies are starting to show since you're bored," Audrey grabbed the thick rope and began to wind it into the portal. She could walk now although her training was still not quick enough. "I think it's time we get moving. There should be humans around the river somewhere, right?"

"Right," Madoka said blankly.

"Nae waah! Be excited!"

"How could I be? We could be going into the middle of enemy territory," Madoka recalled Audrey mentioning Rustaze and Esmerald sending their troops to Fiara. Audrey stopped pacing.

"That's true," she confirmed. "Though, we did kind of slay a dragon remember?"

"We can't just slay people, Audrey!" Madoka snapped.

"Not like that!" Audrey sighed. "I meant, we are probably extremely powerful and able to defend ourselves against people. You were trained by one of the strongest warriors of Fiara, you know. And you have a bunch of holy powered steroids inside of you!”

"I didn't know that!" The news shocked Madoka. Audrey sighed then her face grew dark for a moment and her voice lowered.

"Would you... kill for me?"

Audrey asked but instantly switched the subjects before Madoka could respond.

"Point is, Madoka, we are definitely more powerful than one would think. Even you don't think so which is mind blowing considering you killed a crazy bear and a dragon. Heck, you even almost killed me multiple times!"

"Why did you have to add yourself to that list?" Madoka grumbled but she already began to follow Audrey along the path away from the lumber mill into the unknown.

"No reason!" Audrey chirped. "We beat the tutorial zone so now we're actually able to get to do stuff now! Well, after this little, erm, detour!"

The snow thinned as they walked and Madoka caught glimpses of logs floating and bumping into sheets of ice in the river nearby. They definitely were no longer on the mountains but Madoka was too anxious about everything to feel happy. There were many thoughts in the woods.

"I also kind of want to test out my new and improved magic core," Audrey turned to Madoka. Instinctively, the maid had her guard up and backed away from her slowly. "Come on! It's not going to result in an explosion, okay? No fireballs or bombs."

"For some reason, Audrey Elise, I don't believe you," Madoka cautioned her.

"I just want to test things out!" Audrey said as the magic core flared to life around her heart. The rings this time were a deep orange color and pulled her into a mesmerizing warmth she could not describe. She sensed the original strength that resided in Audrey. Madoka watched as the two orbiting stars travel swiftly along the celestial bands, but snapped out of her trance when she realized the implication of it. "I should clarify, I did not actually level up. I got more power but I didn't break through."

"All of those wounds," Madoka gasped. "And you did not even level up?"

"Come on, man," Audrey pouted. "It's a lot harder than you think! I nearly pissed myself when I nearly fell into the abyss. Besides, I'm just making things up as I go. I can control a lot more of the universe's mana now."

"You what?"

"Nothing!" Audrey's eyes glowed as she obviously prepared something troublesome. "Catch me if I mess up okay!"

Madoka barely had time to react before a magical green gale blasted Audrey skyward from beneath her feet. For a moment, she was a spirit hovering gracefully in the sky above the trees. The beam of light made her glow like an angel. She almost seemed like she had her former Royal aura back as she overlooked the forest. She was bereft of speech, left standing in awe but the shining moment quickly expired when Audrey started flailing and descending back to the forest floor quickly. Madoka was reminded of the falling Frost Queen.

"Waaaah! Catch me!"

This again!? Madoka sighed as she prepared to catch the girl as she plummeted. Luckily, Audrey was lighter than Pelé and did not even weigh her arms down when she caught the girl.

"Audrey Elise Dalion," Madoka chastised her. The princess was out of breath and panting. She secretly liked saying the name, so she repeated herself. "Audrey Dalion."

"Wahahaha! You saved me!" Audrey breathed but then cowered underneath Madoka's glare. "I saw where we can go, okay!"

"You did?" Madoka let her guard down and Audrey wriggled free.

"Yes," Audrey smoothed her cloak out. "Did you like that trick? I thought of that fight with the dragon. Pretty cool, right?"

"N-No," Madoka scoffed. "It's definitely going to attract attention."

"Well, we're currently weaponless except for, like, two knives," Audrey said as she scanned the sky. "We're going to have to rely on a show of force or something."

"Show of force?"

"It's a military tactic where one side shows what they can do to scare off another side," Audrey said. "Or in our case, we can simply show people how strong we are. And, uh, by we I mean you. I think exploding an entire establishment would get us in trouble."

"I said no fireballs!"

Audrey closed her eyes and shrugged.

"How about this, then?" Audrey opened her eyes suddenly and Madoka heard desperate thoughts from above her.

Horror.

Confusion.

Why?

Can't breathe!

Death.

The green glow in Audrey's eyes were much more menacing than any Wind spell she used before. Birds above started falling like rocks off a cliffside. Madoka winced as they splattered on the ground behind Audrey.

"Audrey?"

Audrey examined several of the birds that were in tact from falling before they moved on.

"You think we can eat birds? Or do they carry too much diseases on them?" She wondered. "Then again, we ate a dragon without getting sick... Oh. Sorry, Madoka. That was barbaric of me. It is just a new way to hunt without you know, completely destroying the animal's head."

"W-What did you even do?" Madoka shook with fear from whatever Audrey did. "That's horrifying."

"I'm sorry, Madoka, I forgot you can probably hear those things thinking and then suddenly BLAM!" Audrey made a dunking motion with her arms. "I started pulling oxygen out of a zone, including the air inside their lungs. It makes them go bye-bye and they—"

"Is that learned from the Wind King?" Madoka asked. Audrey shook her head.

"That was learned from watching too many science fiction anime shows," she shrugged. "What I'm trying to say is: I'm a lot more stronger now with my magic and you ain't got any weapons, okay? Trust me! I have other spells, too, but I'll only use my other big guns if we get in— Madoka?"

Madoka heard thunderous thoughts of fast approaching beasts running after them. Soldiers in the woods meant trouble. They will have to hide and get around them since she did not want to find out just how brutal Audrey's spells could be if they got swept up in a fight.

"Enemy warhorses on the march," Madoka said, scooping up a complaining Audrey and taking off further down the road. She was hoping they could hide. "From behind us!"

"Bandits are a staple of tutorial zones!" Audrey shrieked as Madoka ran. "God, I forgot!"

The warhorses did not relent. They were chasing Madoka and Audrey into a trap, she could feel it! What can she do?

"An opening!" Audrey pointed to a fallen down tree. "We can probably hide there!"

"Got it," Madoka breathed as she rushed through the logs. The warhorses' thoughts were still closing in! "Kind gods, what do we do, Audrey?"

Silence was heard from the girl on Madoka's back. She found out why when she turned and saw what appeared to be a noble's carriage with many guards and crossbow men staring at them. They blocked the way forward while the soldiers on horseback merely waited on the road if they tried to escape. Madoka clicked her tongue in frustration. They were in enemy territory, after all. They must have been watching from afar or noticed Audrey's spells.

"Don't move," the largest of the men, presumably the captain, barked at them. "His Lordship commands you to kneel!"

Madoka shook as she stood silently. The memories of Nobles forcing themselves upon her during those nights in the Palace seized her completely. An armored boot kicked her legs and she crumpled to the ground. She did not realize it nor the pain, instead she was fixated on the carriage door opening slowly.

"Kneel, you mutt!"

Madoka felt the weight of the boot kick her in the head, forcing her to bow completely down. No, no, no! This cannot be happening! Someone was whispering her name. Audrey!

"Madoka," Audrey whispered but suddenly got restrained by two guards. She was still too weak to run.

Heavy steps rocked the carriage as a fat boot placed itself on the step. A hideous and boisterous laughter boomed from the carriage. The view of a fat noble dressed in purple and green robes stepped into her peripheral vision. His amorphous form was accompanied by the sound of lips smacking and delighted clapping.

"Well, well, well," he said in a thick Noble accent. "Here I was, down on my luck. No longer. The kind gods have smiled upon me by bringing me some cute little girls!"

The beam of light nearly blinded her as it shined down upon the fat monstrosity before Madoka. He burst with laughter and his double chin flapped in unison with his belly fat. It was a horrible sight to behold.

But.

Madoka.

Could.

Not.

Move!