The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

The One Below (Goblin Eschaton 7)

VII.

Madoka tore away at the Knotting strands as if their numinous lights were weakened twine and dove into the darkness with Audrey in tow. The booms of trees crashed down thunderously upon the rumbling maw's opening as a foetid hatch. Like a bier of branches, the daylight was lost to the girls underneath it. Madoka landed on her feet, and buckled to her knees when she caught her princess.

Audrey panted heavily after being set down, though Madoka did not know whether her breathlessness was from the chaos outside or the heavy blackness that smothered them like a damp roughspun blanket. The reckoning from the pit finally ceased, as if it was aware that it has swallowed its chosen prey— them.

"Gah, why does it keep getting worse?" Audrey complained.

There was nothing heard but the heavy breathing from the two of them.

"You tell me," Madoka rubbed her eyes, only to make the phosphenes swirl more intensely against the dark.

"Should I blast ourselves outta here and call it a day?" Audrey casted a small flame above her finger, but gave out a disdained pout. "Black manas. Similar to the ones in the palace. Be on guard."

"It's all your fault," Madoka muttered.

"Yeah," Audrey sighed. "I know."

"And I hate that you don't... nevermind," Madoka truly did not like feeling guilty after casting blame on her princess.

"What?" Audrey asked. "Should I destroy the trees or not? This dungeon is optional."

Madoka was about to approve of her destructive choice for once but a chill ran up her skin. Kind gods, she realized that they were not alone down here. Who knew what lurked deeper within. Audrey's fire flickered and waved in the wind, but her eyes were suddenly fixated on the walls of this wretched place.

"There's many... tunnels in this place?" She drew a bigger light, revealing many openings before them. The maw split into many throats of dirt and roots. "No way..."

Audrey's light revealed to Madoka that the walls were black and thorny roots. They were just like the evil ones back in Fiara's capital and Palace. As her eyes adjusted, there were shattered pathways and a faint glow within each of the tunnels.

"Thin pathways, almost too small to fit on," Audrey mused but her eyes widened in a sudden realization. "This must be Henry's old home!"

"Its name is Grob," Madoka corrected her. Or was Grob, she silently added. Audrey kicked up a twig and hurled it into one of the tunnels, but nothing happened. "We should find those adventurers if we are to explore this forsaken place."

"I'm... okay, I think," Audrey flinched from the unseen manas in the air. "We just have to explore a spooky dungeon with evil magic roots growing all over the place. What could possibly go wrong?"

"A lot of things, actually," Madoka supposed. She examined the black roots and contemplated their origin. Could it be...?

"Well, in videogame logic, we always hug right!"

Audrey pulled out her infinitesimal, tiny light and turned towards the rightmost tunnel. Their fate would be sealed once they go in. Still, the princess stepped forth and her magical lantern bobbed against the darkness weakly, but remained laden with intention. Madoka let her lead through the cramped spaces, but decided to get in front of her as soon as there was enough room for her to butt in ahead.

The tunnel widened and light poured in from the end of its path, eventually unfolding into an ancient grand stairway, with roots permeating in between their sprawling descent. Audrey gasped. Madoka noticed that the other tunnels reached here as well.