The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

Glare at the Skies (Winter 3)

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.