The Maid and Her Princess

No Greater Love (Shadow Forest 2/5)

II.

Madoka felt her feet being dragged along, from dirt to a strange hard and smooth surface. She did not resist, only observing the strange creatures. If they spoke in English, then that must mean that they are like Audrey. Her eyes glanced at the strange weaponry strapped onto some of their backs and she noted that she was quite taller than these creatures. Eena was being dragged along with her, but it looked like she was truly unconscious while she only pretended. There were other creatures carrying strange chambers containing the remains of the bodies that the Noble was guarding.

Others carried Madoka's weapons with considerable effort. Her swords were flimsy pieces of metal scavenged from the Esmeralda army Audrey and her escaped from, but it appeared that to these soldiers they were like boulders. Furthermore, as they traveled deeper into the strange building a warmth began to get absorbed within her core. The soldiers carrying the weapons did not seem to notice the Knotting magic strands running all along the strange place and into her, just like Audrey. The Knotting strands also did not appear to be attracted to Eena and directly ran in currents around the Sovos. The two fools who were responsible for carrying her were about three or so heads shorter than her.

Barely lifting her eyelids to avoid detection, she noticed that this base CZA-6 brought her and Eena to was a stark opposite than the wild tangles outside. Cold and white hallways flickered to life ahead of her. The slamming of a heavy door behind her nearly startled her, but she managed to suppress it as one of the soldiers carrying her called out to his friend to switch places with him.

"This thing is heavy!"

Again, that language he spoke in seemingly sounded to her like complete and utter heresy. A weakling should not be able to speak the same language as Audrey, Her Highness! Madoka also did not know why this resentment was brewing within her. As the man's knees threatened buckled, the other human slapped the weakling's helmet and scolded him as they swapped places. She debated on revealing that she was awake and could comply, but that idea was swiftly curtailed after she noticed a sharp glare from Ella herself aimed at the bickering men.

"Stop screwing around," she commanded coldly. The laser rifle in her arms pointed at them as she held it lazily, but that was a facade. The weapon was revealed to Madoka by Ceghinort and she knew how heavy it was, yet CZA-6 held it effortlessly. "Take these creatures to the containment chambers quickly. They're still alive and extremely dangerous, so treat them as such. Take the dead ones to the lab."

Over the salutes from the men, Madoka noticed a lingering look from Ella, though the strange woman retracted it quickly. She knew that woman was aware that Madoka was watching her, though she did not know what the consequences would be. This place was huge enough to make her wonder if they were still inside the Uracksheegal or had gone through another portal inadvertently. After a few turns, Ella was called to go in a separate direction by another strangely dressed human wearing a white robe of some sort. He also wore glasses similar to Arudite's, making Madoka instantly dislike him.

"We have some disturbing emergencies, Commander Ella," he started. "The M-Particles suddenly destabilized fourteen minutes ago. The Superstructure and its system may crash land at this rate."

"What?"

The supposed Commander Ella nearly let out an angry explosion of words as her boots turned to him mechanically. The white coat man shrank, but repeated himself bravely in the scowling face of the human warrior woman. Her steps fell like thunder rolling in the distance as she immediately followed him. Madoka was turned to the opposite side, so she could not hear their conversation. Now that she was alone with these little creatures, she contemplated if she could kill them and escape. Would she want to kill them? They were real people, even if they looked vastly different than her. Though she truly did not know what she would feel if she did, those weapons and tricks up their sleeves did not seem to be a challenge she could overcome easily. Hopelessness sank her willfulness when one started speaking to another anxiously about whether the "Superstructure" or whatever that object was could be fixed. The word itself suggested that this place was massive. Even if she could escape from here, where exactly would she end up at?