The Maid and Her Princess

There's Still Life Here (part 2)

II.

"House Dalion! Where the bloody Abyss are they?!" the irate leader shouted.

Madoka wanted to groan. Did she jinx it? Although she had endless complaints inside her head about the trouble they were apparently going to get into, she still looked to Audrey. To her shock, she was staring back to the barrels where a glimpse of King Hei Meng's yellow glowing eyes were watching. It was as if the dangerous gold ranked party before them was someone else's problem to her.

Madoka could even hear the cat's scornful, mocking scoff whisper beneath it as he slunked back further in the darkness. That Orange Demon's provacations were not the main issue mounting stress in her heart, nor did the noisy and nosy party's apparent animosity towards them stir much inside of her after she assessed their strength. The Knotting magic surrounding them seemed faint somehow, and they had no idea what she had gone through in the last few days.

No, what truly made Madoka's panic hit full force under her skin was that the princess was still distracted under this violent intent. Kind gods! She wanted to shake Audrey back to her full attention! She elbowed Audrey before the crowd had grown restless, looking at each other. The contact spooked Her Distractedness, causing her to jump. At the same time, the angry leader of the party let out another bellowing shout.

"House Dalion! We demand you show yourselves to us!" He rolled out a scroll.

Apparently, the crude letters were describing them by appearance. Madoka could only connect the shabby drawing with the fact that their hair colors matched. Red and blonde, one girl was comically taller than the other. At least they got something right.

"Oh, shit," Audrey muttered. "T-That's us, isn't it? What did you do to bother them?"

"Me?" Madoka felt a sense of incredulity. She had no idea who these people were. "What's the play, Audrey?"

The crowd, sensing that no one matched the description, slowly parted and were now looking at them. A clear path between them and these four hostile strangers now stood. Madoka gritted her teeth, while sensing magic forming around Audrey, who also sensed a conflict.

She stepped in front of Audrey protectively, letting Magnolia fall out of the portal. She considered the smaller human pistol, remembering how devastating guns were, but figured since they were up against something dangerous she should save those weapons for monsters inside the Angel's Harp. The axe embedded itself into the Guild Hall's stone floors like a meteor, interrupting the offended party leader's approach.

Knotting magic jolted inside of her like a rising tide of shock and energy like an
eager friend. She felt the man's gaze shifting up to her, and realized she was glaring down upon him. The battle of stares quickly became one sided as she ripped the axe out with a single hand and took a step forward.

"That is us," Madoka said flatly. The man's accusations died in his throat as he and his whole party backed away slowly from House Dalion as they should have done. Dead silence fell upon the hall. "Who's asking?"

The man's bravado regained itself somehow. He looked over his shoulder as if confirming something, his fury becoming more intense. "Otanor, it's these two, right?"

Otanor? Madoka pondered. Who?

A shorter man she did not notice before limped out from behind the irate party. He looked thoroughly shaken, as if he was facing a monstrous ghost. Audrey's magic remained between them, the Knotting strands becoming taut like a wall of bowstrings. Madoka thought at him, trying to pry into his mind but realized that he was a man insect, not just an insect she could crush.

Why did she think that she could do that?

"T-That's them! They were the ones who ripped my arm off and destroyed Gladeban!"