The Maid and Her Princess

IV.

The door budged uselessly against Madoka's palm. The top of its frame bulged as the pounding hit it at different angles, but ultimately was too weak to barge through. She judged whoever was on the other side was definitely not strong, but magic could be not be ruled out of the equation. Audrey's gasp of surprise made her look back.

"So?" Madoka asked. "What should we do?"

"Did— did you just stop a magic door? With your hands?"

"Seems like it." Madoka shrugged.

She did not move at all. Even as the force on the other side grew more frantic, it still stood no chance against her. They would need Audrey's permission to come through, but it appeared that she was confused over something. The girl looked surprised over her nonchalance, but that look morphed into horrow when she saw the axe Madoka was holding with her free hand. Muffled grunts and hissing came from the other side, escaping through the cracks of the so-called "magical door."

"Should we face whatever is trying to escape?"

Audrey's eyes began to glow green and the atmosphere around them plummeted into frost. Even the rain droplets began to freeze into specks of ice. The change replaced the alien feeling, signaling as a silent agreement to let the being through. Madoka felt reassured and also a little disappointed in herself.

Of course, she thought. If the interloper on the other side was a mage, then surely Audrey's magic and her dark Core would surely blow them away. She nodded, and then stepped aside. The door launched open, then an odd blur of robes and a head of purple stuck out of it. The rest of the stranger spilled out onto the altar unceremoniously, letting out a groan.

"Arudite?" Audrey blurted.

Arudite gasped."Quickly! My magic is..."

Before Madoka could even scoff, the white stone beneath where she fell was slowly turning red. The researcher was injured! Audrey looked at her with pleading eyes and she fell into a sigh. This Secret Garden business was getting more and more dangerous, but she could not find it in herself to be merciless to someone the princess likes. So, she stuck her hand out and allowed Audrey to pull her Substance talisman out of it. Why did she not have that on her person to begin with?

The princess quickly stuck her hand in the portal and immediately breathed into the talisman. Arudite's wounds were a lot worse than Madoka previously thought. Her right arm was a gnarled stump, as if a beast tore it off. Perhaps, something on the other side did. An unsettling feeling crawled upon her skin like a sticky film.

The sight of green webs twisting, growing, and illuminating the researcher's ripped, blood-soaked sleeve. And just like that, a new arm shot out from her stump in an explosive growth. The arm was still glowing with green magic, but was instantly stained with blood and dirty.

Substance magic was truly miraculous, Madoka thought. The webs tangling around Lady Arudite's body were not in their usual pattern. She noticed that the more Audrey's breath changed, the more the green strands became manipulated. Was the princess testing things with her magic once more? The purple haired researcher's face twisted into a grimace as one of the Substance strands stabbed inside her new arm's wrist. That was definitely a test.

She suddenly felt a pang of guilt for being jealous and stopping her from getting through the door. Madoka had forgotten how ruthless Audrey could be. Or rather, she felt guilty for not feeling bad at all for the researcher. As soon as the viridescent tentacles dimmed and vanished into nothingness, Arudite's own breathing stabilized.

She panted, bending over with her palms on her knees. Then she flailed her new arm in amazement like she saw a new land for the first time. "House Dalion. Saved me once again."

"What happened?" Audrey moved to help her up, but stopped. "Is the... servant alright? Why is she not with you?"

"My Ilalune, she's— No, she's fine." Arudite then pointed to herself after straightening herself out. "Me, on the other hand. Heh, believe me. You had gotten me out of a real troublesome storm."

Her robe looked like it went through a storm and a battle at the same time. Only her new arm was clean and shiny on her body. However, she did not appear to be uncomfortable from all the blood she just dirtied the floor and Madoka's boots with. Her glasses somehow survived through her fall. Only a small crack in one of the lenses, which she pushed back onto her face and squinted at the two of them.

"You two look... Different somehow."

Her stare was directed at their different colored eyes, of course. Madoka ignored her. Instead, she used English to ask Her Highness directly. Her gaze, still remained on the researcher as if she could turn into a monster at any moment.

It was true, Madoka supposed. After the guilt of not assisting immediately receded, her guard repaired the wall of suspicion in her heart and she was now scrutinizing Arudite with the utmost caution. She must navigate this situation carefully, or else there might be blood on her hands.

Madoka brushedher cloak back, revealing Magnolia II's magnificent heavy blade in her grasp on purpose. "Well? Is she truly the researcher? Find anything wrong with her?"

Arudite's face paled when she saw it, or perhaps it was from the alien language Madoka was using. Either way, she could at least cut that clean arm off again if things get dirty.

"There's odd magical particles all around her." Audrey's eyes raked over something unseen in the air, but as usual, Madoka could not see them. Arudite looked like prey under her gaze, freezing midway from saying something, but Audrey was entirely focused on other issues.

"But it's all her. Substance magic, it's a little warped here somehow."

Madoka nodded. Then, she tossed Magnolia 2 into the portal. She shoved her hands to her hips and she gave a shrewd look to the bewildered researcher. Purple Hair, Arudite, straightened herself out and stood straighter. Then, as if she was struck by lightning, she immediately turned back to the door.

"Quickly, I'll explain everything soon," she said. She looked upward towards the false sky. "We best get back in before the rain drowns us out here."

A little bit of apprehension seized her heart for a moment, but after glancing towards Audrey she became placated. The altar was pulling them towards its center, warping in shape and becoming a bowl. She did not notice that the rain water was filling it. The once white surface became a murky basin, mixed with Arudite's blood and rain. What happened to her inside there?

As soon as she touched the door's handle again, a burst of cyan light enveloped her vision. Straight, intersecting lines burst across the room as Madoka's stomach lurched. She knew the feeling of being torn through a portal all too well, but it did not make her less angry about that. Should a kind goddess's daughter receive better treatment, she complained as she was snapped back in a swirling rapid of color and blurry motions. Why do they have to go through these pesky things all the time?

The visions twisted one final time before flattening into a dull color, blurring her sight. A hazy outline began to appear before her, like a figure emerging out of fog. The rest of her sight was coming into view in colors and sharpened lines, as if the world was restructuring itself right in front of her. Her body crashed against a soft ground with freezing water from the rain outside. The feeling being drenched in a downpour shocked her out of her stupor, and she jolted upward. Her hands found only dry clothes, slightly scuffed from her tumble.

Madoka grunted and could only assume the portal had altered herself somehow, but her ears perked up after hearing a faint voice from somewhere above her. That must be Audrey! She instinctively scrambled to her feet and squinted as her eyes drank in a peculiar sight. The sky was divided in a chaotic dark storm and a clear bright sea of blue.

Soon, Madoka found where the source of Her Highness's screams up there. A tangle of thin cyan strands arranged themselves into a starry pattern. She did not have the time to dwell on the strange magic in the Celestial before the familiar form of a flailing blur of a blond body flushed out of its center in a torrent of water.

Audrey was lighter in her arms. Way easier to carry than Madoka remembered. Has she lost weight? Her hands squeezed in various spots on the princess's body. Definitely thinner. She understood that perhaps the two of them no longer needed to eat like normal Narms, but still made a mental note of feeding her in the future.

"Uh, Madoka?" Audrey squeaked. "C-Can you put me down? I can see clearly now."

"Hm?" Madoka looked at where she was squeezing. Instead of releasing it, she tightened her grip and sighed. "You're too skinny."

"Wh— What are you, my grandma?" The princess balled her tiny fists and tried to free herself from Madoka's grasp.

"Grandma," Madoka stammered. Are those not supposed to be much older than her?

She became so confused over the thought of being a grandmother she dropped Audrey unceremoniously, who landed on the floor and flopped dramatically on the grass like a fish stranded offshore.

"Nae waaah!"

Grass? Madoka finally realized they were in a completely foreign land. A hilly expansive of golden hills sprawled before them, with trees cloaked with red leaves shifting in the wind. Small cyan hexagonal magical formations blew by in the wind, entwining with loose red leaves. Just where exactly were they? And where was the researcher?

"This place. Hmm," Audrey's eyes followed the traces of magic as well. Behind her, the storm still thrashed like a wave against the calm blue sky, tossing her hair aside. She looked ethereal, making it difficult to look away from. "This is Chelise. Look over there."

She pointed. Madoka followed the direction, turning from the darkness to the light shining over the highlands. The shimmering form of a spire peered over a particularly tall hillside, wrapped in a green layer of vines. A castle? A ray of sunlight beamed down on it. The turret itself reflected brilliant colors like a rainbow, bright enough for her to see from where she was standing.

"Well, if that isn't a quest marker, than I dunno what is!" Audrey exclaimed. "Might as well have a giant billboard or something just in case we miss it, you know?"

"I don't know what you're even saying." Madoka heard herself mutter, feeling off about this otherworldly situation.

"Look, do you wanna go to the shiny white tower or not?" Audrey skipped ahead. She had already made up her mind to investigate, but still had some consciousness inside of her to check on her. Madoka shrugged.

"What about Aru— the researcher?"

"No clue," Audrey said after a few steps. "The manas around her certainly came directly from this place. Maybe you were right."

"Right?"

"Right to be suspicious of her. The Arudite we ran into outside definitely went through something, but whether or not it was truly her is definitely not absolute." Audrey sighed and started walking. A small pentagram flew into her face, but as soon as it came into contact with her fair cheek it dissipated into a light blue mist. The princess flinched as if it was a bug, but recovered with a frown. "This is weird, huh. Pentagrams were from Mansion magic. And— Last time we were in one of these magic doors we couldn't use magic."

Madoka instinctively clutched her chest, feeling the Crystal's magical vibrations humming within her. It certainly was inside her as it always had been. That left one conclusion in her mind: This place was still inside Pnaumen, and not Audrey's world. There was only that strange tower up ahead that held the answers for them.

"Let's get going to the quest marker."

Audrey pointed to the white tower. Like the telescope of the Truth Guild, it loomed over the terrain as a silent vigil. Through the thin red branches of the trees and the magical pentageams swirling in the air, it was always there. When they stepped onto the flat ground between two hillsides, a presence darkened the sky over them and shook the ground with a violent rustling wave. Madoka immediately pushed the girl behind her and stood tall over her as she turned to face the potential threat.

To their shock, Madoka watched the golden grass split apart from the small tremors. Then, massive trees sprouted from them by the hundreds. They had to retreat up the hillside, watching in a frightened state as the entire field and previous one they just left became covered and sealed off by a new dense tree forest. The dark stormy sky expanded as well, but stopped right at the border of the new tree line and also in front of them. This Garden was making itself clear that to them: They can only move forward.

"You— You mentioned hearts before," Madoka spoke up as they marched. The rumbling and cracking of new trees bursting through the ground became a noisy companion, but seemed to not have any harmful intentions against them. She felt a bit bold for what she was going to ask next, but she swallowed the lingering apprehension and came out with it. "What do you mean by that?"

Audrey stopped mid-step. A red leaf, tipped with a golden hue, fluttered next to her head like a lost butterfly. Madoka reached out and caught it before it hit the girl's head. She instinctively held out a lock of her own hair out to compare the shades. Nearly identical, save for the metallic golden crisp edges. She had forgotten that, like Audrey's hair, she had been growing alongside Her Highness all this time.

"I— I don't really want you to worry," Audrey said sheepishly. That only made Madoka's maid instincts kick in, but the princess waved her off having already anticipated her reaction. "Okay, I'll give it to you straight! When I use teleportation, I— Don't look at me like that! You asked for it! I, uh, destroy my body. Particles, molecule, life, death... I never told you the true extent of what happens when I come back in another place."

A bad feeling washed over Madoka, but she remembered she was indeed the one she asked for.

"No, I suppose I haven't wanted to hear how you destroy yourself," Madoka scoffed. Destroying a body to the point of being unseen, then reappearing as if nothing happened, was already mind bending enough.

"Um," Audrey's ears turned pink. Why is she so flustered? "During the process of rebuilding myself, yeah, it turns out that I have three hearts. So."

"I know what having many hearts is," Madoka muttered, suddenly finding herself flustered as well. She could not articulate exactly what she meant. "Why do you swear on them?"

Audrey grew as red as the bark on the trees surrounding them. Madoka always thought the princess was vague for mysterious reasons, but her wild imagination was slowly transforming those reasons into something entirely different. Soon, there was two flustered, blushing women in the forest for some reason. This strange oscillation between brushing closely to their feelings and her own desire to break through Her Shyness's bubble bothered her, but there was blame in her own inexperience in the matter as well. So they evaded each other's gazes for what seemed like an eternity to Madoka.

"I mean what I said," Audrey's voice was a squeak. "I don't know how it's anatomically possible, or why I even have those extra ones, but they beat for you. Do you believe me?"

Madoka felt Her Highness's gaze fall on her, saw the determined expression on her face and even detected a hint of softness tinging the corner of her eyes. She nodded.

"I do," she whispered.

More vines closed the way behind them. She found that the way ahead was also constricting into a hallway. The trees were rustling and shaking violently, like beasts ready to leap and pounce. They shot up to the darkening sky, and soon, the day was vastly overshadowed by the darkness.

The tower was slowly coming into view, bearing that familiar Truth Guild logo. Madoka could not help but frown and add a skip to her step. If it was this much trouble visiting a Guild like this, then she might as well leave it to Audrey next time. The logo, strangely, had something clinging to it.

No, Madoka squinted at it. A massive bulge caused the structure to look bloated, distorting the emblem. Audrey gasped, pointing further upward. The rest of the building was seemingly saddled by a massive tree, reminding her of the one in the Uracksheegal. It seemed to stretch into the heavens with the other smaller red trunks, though those were like thin grass stems compared to this thing.

"C-Carl... You survived?" Audrey called to the tree. It did not respond, of course, but Madoka quickly realized that this tree must have some connection with Her Highness.

"Carl?"

"My Magic Tree," Audrey explained. Her tone suggested that statement was an obvious and an easily reachable conclusion, but Madoka's head only swam in awe of the massive trunk that was now piercing the sky. The princess obviously did not notice her resigned exasperation; she only had sparkling eyes for Carl the Magic Tree.

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"We best hurry," Madoka warned her. The trees were now closing in around them, quicker than their previous progress.

Her blue eye suddenly felt a tingling sensation. Audrey's magic. The princess was searching for something she was looking at, but she had apparently could not find whatever was hidden within the moving red forest.

Madoka dragged her princess with her, uprooting her from her stupor and quickly bounded towards the entrance of the tower. The shadows were nearly covering her like ink stains. This darkness, this person with her, and the absurdity of the magical world around her— she had enough of it to understand that falling into the darkness would lead to disaster. At least Audrey did not object her sudden urgency, and the two broke into a full sprint.

Just as the shadows of the red forest was about to envelop Madoka with cold tendrils sending goosebumps all over her skin, she jumped and took Audrey with her. Into the circle of light surrounding the Truth Guild. The irony of such a frustrating place of knowledge seeking being in the day and retreating to it for shelter was not amusing to Madoka. She will not succumb to such a place! Her feet crashed against soft grass soaked in the sunlight, nearly getting Her Highness dirty.

Audrey huffed and panted for a long time. "Are we safe?"

Madoka looked around. The forest of skinny and tall red trees seemed to stop their spreading expansion instantly, but blotted out the sky around them. It seemed that the Truth Guild, or whatever Ilalune had imagined it to be, was the center, with the whole circle of troublesome and bleak forest line being the radius surrounding it. When she did not find a door under the Guild's massive emblem, she simply swung around a corner and dragged Audrey with her. The girl, for her part, kept up with Madoka. But she muttered about being unlucky for the brief time before something stopped them.

A hulking set of armor rested against the wall next to an entrance leading inside, like a gargantuan guardian gargoyle. Madoka hesitated, but the hand holding her own suddenly released its grip.

"Armor?" Audrey called to the statue. "Is that really you?"

Madoka suddenly remembered the giant. His armor seemed a lot more weathered, but he still towered over them even while sitting. This Armor certainly had not changed in that regard, she mused. Before she could stop Audrey she caught the helmet had tilted slightly, giving a nearly imperceptible acknowledgement to the princess.

"Hurt?" Audrey gasped. "Let me heal you! No, no, it will barely be an inconvenience for me. I'm just happy you made it here!"

Madoka snapped her head to look at her. Kind gods, she had forgotten Her Highness's ability to hold a silent conversation with the giant man inside the suit of Armor. She could only watch quietly and befuddled as the jade green Substance strands worked their way inside the silent fortress of metal. Audrey nodded, but suddenly leaned against Madoka. Panic welled up inside of her as she instantly moved to protect Her Highness.

"W-What's wrong?"

The princess swayed, feeling her head before weakly giving Madoka an apologetic look. "I— It seems like the Secret Garden limits my magic quite more than I thought. Last time, well, we didn't have any magic so I guess this is an improvement."

She turned back to Armor, who still had green wisps of Substance magic illuminating every dent in his suit. The battered exterior was laid bare before Madoka, making her feel a pang of sorrow and amazement over the possibility of countless battles it had survived through.

The heap lifted a massive hand up, and something shimmered in the light. A scroll? Audrey took it and furrowed her brow.

"You want us to take it? I guess in that state, you can't be out here doing commissions," Audrey raised an eye. As if she heard a response, she nodded. "Are you certain you'll be okay out here...? I suppose she would explain. Madoka. Shall we?"

She moved to the door and flashed a brilliant smile. Despite the arresting flutter that Her Highness's beauty caused her, Madoka stepped back. She regretted it instantly after feeling a chill rake her back. She realized the shadows were creeping slowly behind her, now consuming more of the grass and cornering them. She stepped forward. The icy tendrils peeled off of her felt like mud sluicing off her skin. Once she was on the steps, she glanced at Armor, who seemed to not notice the shadows enveloping him.

Was he even inside here in the first place? Madoka had no choice but to hop onto the wooden steps where Audrey was. At the entrance, she frowned and could not help but ask with full suspicion. "Are you sure we won't go through yet another portal?"

Audrey paused, her hand still pressed against the door.

"There's nowhere else to go anyways."

With that, she pushed the heavy wooden door open. The tower opened up into a huge room with a soaring ceiling. Inside here, however, was a complete mess. Shattered benches lay in splinters and broken glass scattered across the ground. Warm light cascaded through windows and illuminated this abandoned ruin, as if the encroaching shadows of those strange trees were never there. Instead, the familiar mountainous landscape of Ceghinortan bordered outside, and thoughtless birds flew in flocks overhead. It was like they never left lthe alleyway in here. Footsteps echoed in the distance, snatching Madoka's attention. She hardened herself and yanked Audrey behind herself.

She yelped, but suddenly a barrier was shimmering in front of her as an extra layer of protection. Madoka caught a glimpse of a familiar figure hurrying towards them. Lady Arudite's purple hair dangled out from under her hood, and the torn sleeve confirmed that this entity was the same one they have encountered before passing through the Secret Garden's door. But why the convoluted path here? She narrowed her suspicions upon the disheveled researcher as she stopped before them.

"Yoo hoo! Both of you made it! Good, good. Come, come!" Arudite clapped her hands. There was not a trace of wariness or resistance over their guarded stance, only one of expectation and something like relief.

Madoka looked at Audrey, who was looking at her with possibly the same expression. What were they to do? The barrier lowering and the magical pressure lifting off her shoulders made her reluctantly lead Her Highness deeper in the tower after Lady Arudite. She heard Audrey gasp beside her.

Her hand shot to her hip for Magnolia, but she realized she tucked it away in the storage talisman."What's wrong?"

Audrey pointed at the ceiling above them. Instead of rafters or any other beams, a shocking sight sent an involuntary gasp out of Madoka's mouth as well. Skeletons and chairs were seemingly fused to the ceiling rafters, like an auditorium flipped upside down. Some were seated, others were mangled and entangled masses of ashen weaves.

"House Dalion." Arudite's voice came through the quiet atmosphere. "Do you know where we are?"

Madoka exchanged a look with Audrey, who shrugged.

"Beats us," they chorused.

"We are in the Abyss," Arudite turned to them. "Where— He cannot see or reach us here."

"He?" Madoka asked. And were they not in the Void, like Audrey spoke of before? Perhaps, the Abyss and the Void were the same.

"Ceghinort, huh?" Audrey murmured. Right, Madoka recalled the skeleton say that this Lost God's realm is somewhere he cannot reach. And yet, Ceghinort sent the two of them in here anyways? She could never fathom the true machinations of the kind gods, not even her own mother's. "Why?"

Arudite was silent for a moment, as if she was thinking. Her usual cheerfulness was gone, replaced by a gloomy undertone. She turned and guided them further. The end of the open room narrowed into a small antechamber, but Madoka could see an even grander room than the one they were in on the other side.

"As you might have noticed, the Abyss does not abide by Pnaumen's law— but it is a jealous beast. Memories take root here and become the new law. Who's memories, then, is the Abyss taking shape here? As you might have guessed by now, it's Ilalune's memories."

As they stepped through the antechamber, a familiar scene struck Madoka like a physical blow. This place...! Audrey nearly stumbled to the ground as well, and soon, they were supporting each other. This was Fiara's throne room! To her, it was a sacred place she herself had never been allowed to clean. To Audrey, this very place must have had a greater weight than anythin else.

"T-To think I'd ever be back here, even in a dream," Audrey whispered. Her voice shook like a leaf as they eventually moved on. The red carpet and the Fiara Crest was warped, a stark reminder that this was not the true Fiara Palace. It was merely a manifestation of someone else's brief time here. Like the other room, several tables and even statues of people studded the pillars in various positions and destruction. At the throne, someone was sitting at the steps facing the massive portrait of the Fiara Royal House hanging up on the wall. None of them were recognizeable and were nothing but were smeared caricatures, even Elise was not spared from being a smudge. Madoka recognized that tail anywhere, and a sense of unease welled up in her. Lady Arudite ignored their reminiscing and instantly perked up the moment she saw her half.

"Yoohoo! Ilalune! They've arrived!"

Ilalune slowly turned and her sharp eyes swept past Audrey and locked onto Madoka. The maid stood defiantly. She was not going to bow to a cowardly princess like this Cherish woman. The temperature in the room plummeted, despite the illusory broad sunlight shining through the beautiful ornate windows down upon them. A low hiss came from Ilalune, and an involuntary growl roiled in Madoka's throat as a response.

"M-Madoka, please," Audrey tugged Madoka's arm. "Bad Madoka, sit! Heel!"

Madoka approached the Cherish princess with a hostile swagger, arms raised above her head. Ilalune did not back down, and soon, she pounced. You think you can best me, foolish girl? Madoka gritted her teeth. She read the servant's movements like a book and grappled with a counter. Hissing filled her ears and claws poked her hands as they were locked in a bind of limbs and muscle, but she did not budge. Soon, she was overpowering the servant and threatening to slam her through the ornate marble steps of the throne platform.

"W-Why is this a thing you two do whenever you see each other?" Audrey was tugging at Madoka's backside, trying to pry her off of Ilalune. Lady Arudite was in a high-strung state of panic, alternating between wanting to intervene and freezing, knowing the consequences of getting involved.

"I learned a great deal about baking!" Ilalune hissed in Commoner. "Then you had to sic that giant monster upon the city and vanish for days. How dare you!"

"It's not my fault," Madoka growled back. "And I was the one who chopped it in half!"

"Did you not read my letter? I summoned you here a long time ago!"

"Foolish girl! I can't read!" Madoka shook Audrey off, who flung into a heap of cushions on the floor.

"Huh?"

The struggle stopped after heavy footsteps echoed from somewhere behind the throne. Madoka instantly sprang from the ground and became alert again. Who knows what monsters lurk inside this hellish Abyss? A familiar scent wafted in, and a short fat figure wobbled in belly first eating bread. Gromrak survived!

"House Dalion!" He boomed. "Come, eat, eat!"

The two servants untangled from each other, settling on a very taught and temporary truce. Lady Arudite was all over Ilalune, fussing as if she was the maid and not a Noble. Madoka had instantly smoothed out her disheveled state, while Audrey looked bewildered at her posture's sudden switch to utter calmness, as if the scuffle that had just transpired never happened at all. Gromrak seemed unbothered by the commotion, instead raising the plate of bread loaves to them. Madoka snatched one from him. Where did she even get the ingredients? Real food or not, she must critique Ilalune's baking.

Her teeth sank into the bread and the taste made her fall quiet. Audrey suddenly seemed engrossed in her verdict, holding onto her own loaf of bread. Even Ilalune watched in silence. A savory flavor bloomed inside her mouth, and an mmm of approval murmured out of her lips as she took another bite. Soon, the five of them were sitting around the only intact table in the throne room and eating in the Abyss. Despite the setting, Madoka's nerves eased considerably. The bread treats were indeed acceptable.

"Well?" Ilalune finally bit into one herself, staring directly at her with a straight face. Arudite plucked a stray crumb from her whiskers.

"It's passable," Madoka scoffed.

"Yum!" Audrey gave a contented sigh. She suddenly snapped out of her stupor. "Wait, what are we even doing? Surely you did not invite us here to eat bread."

Lady Arudite wiped her mouth and pointed to the scroll poking out of Audrey's bag and held out a hand for it. The princess hesitated, but eventually relinquished the commission from Armor to the Noble. Then, she pointed to a certain block of symbols.

"I've heard from Grace-song that you fell ill on the surface," she said. "And I presume you're here searching for a way to cure the sickness?"

Grace-song, the skeleton that Ceghinort used to bring them to the Secret Garden, was alive? Lady Arudite seemed to anticipate their questioning gaze and snuck a bite of bread before she explained.

"Grace-song, like the rest of us in the Abyss, is bound here. Her Mansion Magic is not that strong, as you might have guessed, so she could not maintain her form on the surface for too long." Lady Arudite smiled, with a hint of satisfaction on the dawning horror on their faces. "That's right, we too, are bound by the Abyss as well."

Madoka's heart nearly jumped straight into her throat as she stood up. The concept of being stuck here and only being allowed out occasionally was horrifying. Audrey looked equally panicked. Could that mean that they were now locked in the Abyss? Is that why Adventurers are not allowed in the labyrinth until they are of a certain rank? Lady Arudite laughed with a melodious tone and waved her hands to placate them. "Relax, oh House Dalion. You two are safe and sound, don't you worry."

Ilalune rose her hand, instantly shutting the Noble up. Audrey looked at the two of them, trying to ascertain their true relationship. The suspicion in her face gradually turned to a dawning realization— then recognition.

"Luciha," Audrey finally uttered the Cherish Princess's name. "Holy shit. It really is you."

"Took you some time to realize that," Luciha scoffed.

Audrey did the unthinkable and actually bowed. "I— You hid yourself so well! Why did you not say anything back— oh. Of course, that's why."

The two seemed to share a common sorrow, while a small flame of jealousy kindled in Madoka's heart. Now, instead of one Truth Guild member to watch out for, a full fledged princess with a shared history now stood between them. Lady Arudite cleared her throat, and looked as if she swallowed a piece of mold in the bread on the plate. Gromrak was quiet the whole time, and the maid realized he was asleep!

"The Abyss is where we shall seek the truth, the thin line between the Pnaumen gods and darkness beyond, in between gentleness and violence, in between the physical and the spiritual. And— as you might know. It is to keep safe." Lady Arudite glanced pointedly at Ilalune. "How the Abyss has bound us— well, that's a long story."

Audrey immediately understood and fell into a contemplative state. Madoka considered if there was such a way to tuck Her Highness somewhere safe. She glanced at the morphed storage talisman on her wrist, then back towards the princess. Perhaps, she could put her inside here forever?

"W-What are you looking at me for?" Audrey looked at her suspiciously.

"House Dalion, Princess Elise." Lady Arudite finally bowed to Audrey, her voice grave. "As you are probably aware already, but we are also here because Lord Ceghinort cannot influence us down here. He is, like all kind gods, bound to their primordial urges."

"Adventure," Madoka murmured. Lady Arudite nodded.

"He has probably said his true goal already to you, Madoka. He wishes to survive, to escape this world. But his body is bound by Pnaumen here in the Abyss in impenetrable black roots. I am sure you two are quite familiar with those, right? This fact is precisely why he has instilled the call to the Labyrinth in his people. Not of some noble honor, or for glory, but to loosen the links that bind his dead body so that he may take to the Celestial once and for all. Even in death, the Sovos must journey back to life and face Adventure once more."

"So it's true," Madoka glanced at the Silver tag next to her storage talisman. "It truly is hopeless."

Audrey groaned and slapped her forehead. "Like a Ponzi scheme, huh? I knew it wouldn't be so simple. But still... What else are we supposed to do in this world?"

"Whether House Dalion becomes even more famous and assists him is your choice. Adventuring has its advantages." Ilalune waved them off. "Though, I see it inside of you. I see it in your face's... change."

Madoka realized the Cherish Royal's gaze on her. There was a hint of sympathy and softness inside her eyes.

"You see the prophecies, don't you?"

"H-How do you stop it from making me sick?" It was Madoka's turn to bow. She was actually begging to prevent the dark future ahead of them. Ilalune shook her head and tears threatened to blur her vision. She sucked them in sharply, her lips quivering.

"There is only a cure for the sickness, but it's, well..." Luciha's eyes glanced to the side.

A peculiar root snaked down a window and poked through a crumbling wall. Arudite stood up excitedly. Her researcher's pride instantly infused enthusiasm in her gait as she rushed over to it.

"We managed to procure your... Carl's saplings for this reason! This—" She tried to yank a stubborn branch protruding off it. Madoka groaned and effortlessly stripped it for her. Lady Arudite huffed for a moment, but immediately jumped back into her lecture. "This magic tree exploded in growth down here while you two were fighting the good fight above the surface! We— We don't know why exactly, but it happened when one of those massive Gift Givers swam through the darkness by us."

"Wait. Gift Givers?" Madoka stammered. There were more than just one?

"Beasts of the Abyss, the enigma and bane of many Adventurer parties," the Noble went on. "You best keep your distance if you see one."

The pair glanced at each other and nervously chuckled.

"Y-Yeah, we'll definitely keep an eye out for those and steer clear of them." Audrey laughed. "Right, Madoka?"

Madoka nodded vigorously. The Gift Giver must have caused the magic tree to burst into a spontaneous growth.

"Have you two heard of a Gaushinant Tree?" Arudite asked.

"A what?" Audrey stared at the root of the magic tree.

Madoka glanced at the oddly named thing. The thing seemed to pulse, fluctuating in size like a worm's blood system. More roots had snaked their way through the ground and roof. Carl's presence was everywhere in this false Palace. She heard the Noble breathe in. It was apparent to Madoka that she was preparing to say something heavy.

"It is a cursed kind of Tree that only grows on the top of these Sovos mountains, whose roots pierce all the way to the heart of this entire mountain and even here in the Abyss. The Truth Guild is not allowed to explore its Nature, by Ceghinort's orders and he guards it in his Palace's most secure chambers. But you know how I am, Lady Audrey," Arudite grinned sheepishly. "Ilalune and I, well. We discovered its roots in here. Diving. Stretching deeper into the darkness. We've yet to uncover its secrets lie. Your tree, Carl, seems to have mingled with its ilk and has... unique properties."

Arudite hefted the magical wood up for Audrey, who refused to take it. She looked at Madoka helplessly. But the maid was busy wondering why even the trees could not get along. Or how they even managed to grow in complete darkness.

"This branch has enough power to sooth the effects of the sickness brought on by your servant's Prophecy Sight, but it needs a certain catalyst. That is where this commission comes from." Arudite handed the branch to Madoka and the scroll back to Audrey. Madoka took the stick dumbly, feeling its wooden but solid shape and deposited it into the storage talisman. Her arm throbbed with pain after summoning the portal, making her remember where they were. So it was true. Magic was tougher to use in the Abyss. The princess read what the commission said aloud.

"Flower ingredients, from that of an Elwatcher Plant in the depths of the Angel's Harp. Platinum Ranked Adventurers and above only? What!?" Audrey exclaimed. Madoka also looked up, startled. A Platinum ranked tag must be higher than gold, right? And why did the Angel's Harp name sound familiar? Lady Arudite waved them off dismissively.

"That little plant is not what you're looking for in the depths, where the Gaushinant's root network lies thickest. That little piece of paper is merely an excuse to go down there," she said. Then she spread out her hands in a grand gesture. "The thing you're hunting down there is a Vale Bá. A flying monster with a blood red core. That— that's the catalyst that will power the talisman you will make. Come to us afterwards."

A loud rumble came from above them, and parts of the throne room's roof began to crack and sprinkle small debris in exposed spots. Lady Arudite glanced up and looked somewhat sorrowful. Madoka knew that reluctance— their time of communication was running out.

Ilalune had already gotten up and stood by yet another antechamber. "The rain outside is draining away. Tsk. So soon. After you retrieve the Vale Bá's core and make the talisman, Elise, she will still see grim things. As we have before. Face it. Face them together, and never let her go. You hear me?"

Audrey had taken the scroll from Lady Arudite and the look in her eyes concentrated with deep and dark sincerity. Even Luciha flinched from the energy radiating from Her Highness in that very moment. Then, the pulse-pounding pressure immediately dropped and she reverted to her cheerful self as she waved. Madoka followed behind her quietly. Just as they passed the stunned pair of researcher and servant, Audrey tossed out one final promise over her shoulder.

"I will give the world to Madoka, should she ask," Audrey spoke. Her voice was chilling and low. "Skeletons like you three need not tell me anything and should stay dead if you dare make me swear twice."

"Skeletons?" Madoka murmured.

When she turned to glance at them, she realized that they were indeed fading into bones like the ones fused to the pillars and ceiling. A faint and rare, satisfied smile formed on Ilalune's lips before the flesh on her skull dissolved into dust and blew away in the rumbling winds. Shadows were crawling through the walls and cracked windows, invading silently and covering everything in a pitch black void. The sleeping Gromrak was the first to be engulfed, then the other two. That was their cue to leave.

Beyond the antechamber, a marble white sphere sat in a wide open space. It unfurled into a solid platform, where a familiar magical door awaited them. Madoka felt a hand grab hers, and was led to the Secret Garden's exit. She glanced at Audrey, who seemed like her normal self and not the cold menace that threatened the world moments before. The princess let her do the honor of touching the door's panel, but never took her eyes off of her.

Madoka smiled. Such devotion was hers alone, from the person who she was going to face the future with.