The Maid and Her Princess

Don't Hold Back! (part 2)

II.

Madoka was lost in a tornado of colors; moments had the ground become the sky, twisting her view upside down, then; hurled into that cold and alien darkness she hated so much. There was no doubt about her situation, no amount of complaining could make her return back to Gladeban; she was back in that strange realm again. So she found herself groaning in the belly of the Uracksheegal.

"Again," she sighed. "We always fall through those little portals..."

Madoka noticed that the spot beside her was vacant. Audrey should have face planted somewhere around here, right? She realized that the princess was not in the Shadow Forest with her. This place seemed lighter than the last time she had been here, like an oppressive presence has left its grounds. It was not empty; Madoka realized that the Forest was lit up by grey light filtering up from beneath her. Daylight...? Even in the distance above the black tree lines created by the corruption aboard this strange beast, she could see the glint of enormous sections of windows bordering the entire stomach. Unease welled up inside of her, but she knew she had to press onward.

Madoka scrunched her nose, sat up and shook off the dust that coated her when she crashed. Then she sneezed involuntarily, a small squeak surprising her. She covered her face immediately, more out of embarrassment than caution from alarming anything hostile in this place, then; she dared to look around herself further for anything that looked familiar beyond the dark twisted vines that twisted out of the land and burrowed a destructive path. The corruption from whatever kind god did not accept the grey morning light and lay still. Madoka hated them all the same for creating such messy and unruly things; whether their origin pointed to the Witch's own voices or whatever thing the Red Strings were attached to— she wanted nothing to do with them.

This will end here, Madoka felt her chest instinctively to vow, feeling the Golden Hand tugging at her. There was a stir in her heart, but nothing else. No golden dust trail to lead her this time. As soon as she took a step, however, her foot bumped into something. She yelped out of surprise, jumping back from the offending object when it did not budge. Magnolia stared up at her, beckoning her hands to wield it. So she did. The grey, unassuming axe seemed like a wonderful tool to ward off the alien feeling and she was glad she had it. The last time she was here she came with nothing. Now, Madoka had a purpose: Retrieve Audrey, wherever she is, inside the Uracksheegal and then they will take down the Witch for good. And maybe give that evil creature a piece of her mind with Magnolia for good measure.

The light's presence still made her feel small. Its insidious presence revealed the sheer scaled of this whole place. Madoka thought it would be blood red and ominously dark like the state of Gladeban when they left it, but no, it was quite tame as if the day itself was waking. Could it be so simple? She had already assumed it was grey because it was now morning and the vines did not seem to be grasping out for her throat yet. Her steps made her feel small, and a quick glance upward revealed the same unblinking beacons shining their tiny lights like stars high above. Another layer of the Uracksheegal must be up there, she thought. Before she could feel even the slightest bit of relief, the thunderous heartbeat thumped throughout the entire forest. She did not hear any thoughts in the distance, just an earth-shaking beating.

Madoka ducked instinctively— she had forgotten all about that ominous beating shaking all of the insides of this entire beast's belly.

She huddled in a small dip in the ground as the thorny roots shook while the horrid heartbeat reigned over with its song. Then the silence made her shudder. Something stirred in her heart. Madoka did not know if it was the comfort brought on by Audrey's Golden Hand or some other magic pulling her along, but she abruptly stood up and gripped Magnolia tightly, then brought it closer to her chest to challenge the questions brewing inside her mind. What was she afraid of? She had just destroyed a Wyvern not long ago and sliced the Guardian in two. Now, she stood before a wall of black roots, glancing at all of the corpses embedded in grotesque angles within their greedy bark. Did the citizens of Gladeban get kidnapped and already processed? That thought made her shudder with both anger and nervousness.