X. I am…

The beast rocked and tossed them around like loose laundry in a basket, but the Sovos seemed used to the chaos. Madoka, cramped in the corner and shielding Audrey, felt like her stomach was doing flips. She could not even look out the side to view the mountainside without feeling dizzy. Its incessant roaring added to her stress; its thoughts rattling her skull. Telling it to be quiet was useless. She was reminded of Luxgor's smug grin when he spoke to them about the Guild Master here before crossing over the chasm.

It was not like she asked the princess to cause trouble! Madoka groaned. The Alpir'Row joined her with a moan that shook rocks and loose branchs off the cliff. Eventually, the scraping noises ceased and the ride eventually stopped throwing them around. Had the massive beast finally settled down? She wondered, grabbing Audrey from being flung into her again. Then she saw the blue sky as a different noise echoed through the ravine.

The beast's horns were no longer breaking against mountain; its tentacles and strange wings were able to flap freely.

"Waah!" Audrey let out a terrified scream and buried her face into Madoka's side.

She rolled her eyes. They were standing again, perfectly balanced and the air brushing against them was refreshing. Where was her dramatic display coming from? Still, she pried the girl off of her and inspected her as she has dutifully done before.

Her face was not green; not sick and held a sheepish mischievous smirk threatening to form on the corner of her lips. The girl's eyes were mismatched; her blue and purple irises narrowing on Madoka with a clarity only a Royal would have. Searching, waiting, eager; Had Madoka no experience with this beautiful girl's antics, she would have missed the troublesome girl calculating an escape route. A glint of light sparkled within Her Highness's hand warmed within her own palm. The princess thought she was being clever, but the magic barrier preventing others from getting too close to them shimmered with a near-imperceptible distortion in the cramped box.

But Madoka noticed.

She always did.

Each small thing about Her Highness was meticulously fussed over, even if the circumstances all around them were left to be toss around in the wind. After a few tugs on her skinny arms as a small act of revenge, Madoka thought about releasing her on her way. Audrey smiled a brilliant one, an ambush; like a ray of sunlight through a stormy— no. She squinted. A real ray of the sun was worming its way through a tiny hole in the roof of this rickety cabin directly in her vision.

The princess broke free at that moment and squeezed her way around the maid, leaning against the rail behind her and looking out over their new surroundings. Madoka sighed. They could have simply flown up here, but she guessed there were laws and other such trivial things they must abide to while in the capital of the God King.

Some birds scattered in the beast's wake. Others landed on one of its fin-wings or even on the railing near Audrey. Their thoughts were jumbled yet unbothered by the beating of the wings or the tentacles beneath it. They were like the passengers inside here, probably living in the moment and taking a brief respite before heading out into the vast world outside the Alpir'Row.

Alpir'Row, she mused as she watched a group of Sovos men and women flying together over them. They must have not have heard the cheerful greetings the other adventurers in herer were shouting. They were headed towards the multi-colored hanging forest on the opposite side of the carriage. Madoka glanced at Audrey. She was mesmerized by all of the shifting scenes before her and did not catch the maid staring right at her; her fair skin was spotted by the sun filtering through the cracks in the roof.

A carved stony landing awaited beneath them, lined with a shattered balustrade that had been eroded by time. The beast's sheer size plunged the ancient stone in shadows, as if it was a dark pool. Madoka felt its restless thoughts rumble around in her head.

I want to take to the skies! I want to grab more of those Two-Fruits the Two-Legs grow! I want to grab more of those Two-Legs! No, bad things happen when Two-Legs are grabbed. Two-Tusks had no Two-Fruits for many Two-Moons when he tried that! I wonder what Two-Colors the Two-Fruits will have when the Two-Legs feed my Two-Mouths! Wait, I don't have Two-Mouths!

The large crash of the carriage's ramp slammed on the stone interrupted the ridiculous beast's inner monologue echoing in Madoka's head. The Sovos adventurers rushed on their way like startled rodents, with several members guiding the survivors towards the green roofed stony holes lining the mountain side. Many shouts and hollering burst through from the people watching the Alpir'Row's descent and the band they traveled with it.

Madoka took it all in. The street filled one side closest to the endless ravine and cliffsides below; the houses and buildings— if she could call them that— looked like hive entrances pierced into the rocky mountain itself. Hundreds of them were stacked on top of each other in tiers, with doorways and windows accessible from the sky and tiny orange stair cases winding their way through like small streams.

A familiar set of blue armor flashed through the crowd, followed by an easy grin Madoka knew all too well. Eraziror. Always the good guide. His Silver tag clinked against the metal plate. It was a lot less shiny than her own tag. The past few days must have put the man through an Abyssal amount of trouble, yet he could still smile like that. He gestured for them to follow him off the beast quickly. Madoka was tired of hearing its thoughts of Two-that's and Two-this's anyways. Just like that, House Dalion's boots have set foot upon the Capital of Rustaze and the home of the God King Ceghinort.

"Nothing like the Mountains of Esmerald, huh?" Eraziror gave a bow to them. Madoka could not really answer that. The shadow of the Alpir'Row lifted, revealing a nearly blinding amount of sunlight underneath it. She squinted. "Or maybe, perhaps they're more spectacular than the fancier Islands you Noble Narm Houses hail from."

Audrey shrugged, while Madoka snuck a glance at her. Most of the princess's color had returned to her face. Eraziror cleared his throat, catching their attention yet again.

"Well, I'm not going to hold you up or give much of a guide to here, that'd take ages," he chuckled. The distant roar of the Alpir'Row hung over them like a cloud. He pointed his green scaled hand towards a massive building Madoka had somehow missed. "We're at the Adventurer Guild's District. Those burrows are houses for the rich ones, of course. But the Inn where you'll be staying is near the Adventurer Guild's building there. Can't miss the bloody thing or its orange roof. And for your Lady, the Truth Guild is also just around the corner from there. Lady Theonys and Sir Luxgor are waiting for you two in the Guild Hall, of course."

Madoka glanced at where he was pointing. He was right.

The building was protruding out of the mountainside. Its orange roof was indeed conspicuous; looking like a rooster proudly sticking its beak up proudly amongst the green moss-covered roofs of the burrow-houses. She did not know what to call them, but their round entrances made for a unique shape. She supposed those long burrows were what the Rustazian people had built in order to make due with their surroundings in order to live. Eraziror skipped away three paces before skidding to a stop.

"Right, right," he narrowed his eyes on the two girls. He did not even flinch when Madoka glared back. "There's also couple of shops around. You two could use a few upgrades, eh? Can't have the esteemed House Dalion meeting the most powerful Adventurer besides the God King himself looking like… well, how you do now."

Who? Madoka felt her clothes. She indeed looked like a beggar. Eraziror chuckled and turned around to bolt.

"Wait," Madoka suddenly blurted. "Where are you going?"

"Where am I going?" Eraziror burst out laughing, as if she said an otherworldly joke. Madoka frowned. She never made jokes. He sobered up when he realized her expression did not change. He pointed to a group of giggling women not far from where they were standing. "I got my own Truth Guild to attend to. If you know, then you know. No need to ask further questions, just go."

With that, he skipped off and soon vanished amongst the crowd with those smiling women. Audrey spat, covering her mouth as she tried to stifle a laugh. Madoka patted her back as she recovered.

"What a lame song," Audrey sighed. "And he leaves with a group of women he scooped up last night. Goddamn bards."

She stepped on ahead into a slice of sunlight on the stony path poking through a gap in the flying beast's hairy tentacles. Her torn clothes were tossed by the wind, but there was a brilliant smile on her face when she looked back at Madoka. The serene and confident look shot a bolt of admiration with her chest, making her feel like her heart was rolling around against her ribs.

"Well? Shall we find the clothes shop together?" Audrey extended her hand out to Madoka. Heat made her flush, but before she could say anything the princess immediately buckled over and felt her legs.

"Audrey?" Madoka snapped out of her reveries and sprang into action. The girl stuck a hand out in a flimsy attempt to wave her off.

"Gah, my legs feel all wobbly from the flight," Audrey groaned. "Why did I try to look cool in front of you just now. Ugh."

The groan that escaped Madoka's mouth was matched only by her temporary embarrassment of being associated with Her Awkwardness. A few minutes of steadying her, they were off towards the direction Eraziror pointed to. Despite Her Carelessness's behavior, the image of her standing in the sunlight looking back at her was seared in Madoka's mind. They walked in silence.

The street was crowded, unlike the straight and narrow roads of Gladeban. This path was a sea of people, with more of those rounded landings where more Alpir'Row landed. Roaring, wagons and crowds intermingled together in a combined chaos. Strangely, Madoka was able to guide Audrey through with relative ease. Instead of the expected hellish feeling she anticipated with such conduct surrounding her, she felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

She was unable to pinpoint exactly why she had that longing and nagging feeling, but did not have time to dwell on it. There were more and more heavily armed Adventurers going about their way. Some were entering and exiting some of the round burrow doorways, and the signs above them bore official emblems that looked like shops.

Before she could hurry along, Audrey stopped her with a tug on her sleeve. Madoka turned and gave her an inquisitive look. She looked pale! Before she could ask, the princess activated Shared Vision revealed where the girl was looking. A secluded bench near an alleyway called to them. It worked for her. It was too noisy anyways and she could set up her barrier to keep people out. Another shadow blurred behind her from the princess's point of view, and before Madoka could avoid it a cloaked traveler had already bumped into her.

Madoka whirled around as a hand placed itself deliberately on her cloak. Her growl, however, was cut short when she saw that there was no killing intent within the person who dared bump into her. She instead fixed them with a stare. A pair of brown eyes and whiskers looked right back at her, unreadable. A Cherish woman? Her eyes pointed downward. Madoka's eyes immediately shifted too, darting to the hand that was now firmly placed above her waist.

A scroll was underneath the Cherish woman's hand, clearly meant for her. The stranger nodded, pushed it into Madoka's belt before scurrying off into the crowd. How odd, she mused. Why deliver a letter to her? Did they know she could not read?

The scroll was immediately snatched by Audrey, who had somehow gained all of her energy back in an instant. Madoka had no choice but to drag her to the bench through the bustling crowd. No one seemed to pay attention to the quiet drama that had just transpired.

That was for the best, Madoka supposed.

"Whew," Audrey stretched her legs as she sat. Madoka also sat on the stone bench, alert as usual. She was not tired at all, but she remembered that Her Highness has not rested well in the past few days, so she had her duties to fulfill. The scroll was still in the girl's tiny fist. Madoka was not interested in it anyways. Sensing her stare at it, Audrey suddenly looked guilty. "S-Sorry, I shouldn't have stolen it."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

She made a weak move to giving it back, exuding sheer reluctance, but Madoka stopped her.

"You're the only one who can read letters," Madoka sighed. "You can have it. That stranger… She did not give off any killing intent."

"I recognized the emblem on her cloak," Audrey noted. "She was apart of the Truth Guild. Matched Arud— yeah, her group's Level. Can't believe they have those."

Madoka ignored the rambling. She wondered why the girl was hesitant in bringing up Lady Arudite's name, though the fact that she refrained from doing so anyways pleased her for some reason. Therefore, she nodded towards the scroll and silenced Audrey's questioning look for confirmation by staring. If the Princess could not tell she was wanting to know what the letter says, than she has wasted her time being an Adventurer.

After fumbling with the string, Audrey's face concentrated into a deep focus after she stared at its contents.

"Well?" Madoka asked.

"It's a call for you, Madoka," Audrey confirmed. Madoka's senses sharpened. What does the Truth Guild want with her? "It's the Cherish servant, the tsundere cat girl. What's her name… Ah yeah, Ilalune. Seems like the pair had survived the Guardian's attack."

There it was, Madoka waded through the princess's weird terms. Ilalune had specifically requested to speak to her again. Why her? She was a servant, not a princess unlike the blonde messy pile of ripped up rags in front of her. The paleness on her face had faded a bit and the way she was kicking her feet made it obvious that she was ready to go. Madoka sprang up to her feet and stuck her hand out for Audrey to take.

"Wha—" Audrey stared at her hand, then shifted her gaze back to Madoka. Now there was more color on her cheeks.

"Ilalune can wait," Madoka said coolly. "For now, we need to get you back to your beautiful self and speak with that GM…. Guild Master."

Soon, she felt a soft hand grip her own, followed by a muttering princess.

"Of course, you look more beautiful and cool when you do the pose, but when I do it I'm a mess… nae waah..."

The first shop they went into hit Madoka with an earthy smell and a cooler temperature. The stony steps of the road turned to a flat wood, where rows of armor sets and outfits sat on raised platforms. She vaguely remembered the last time they were in a shop, pulling a detail that they could only buy things that matched their tags. The shopkeeper glanced at them indifferently when they passed by. Excitement rose in her heart.

These were not pretty at all. No, these heaps of metal were perfect! They were fortresses of protection for Madoka's princess. And, they looked heavy enough to keep her from slipping out of her grasp.

The girl stared at all the pieces of metal, her face radiating a look of avoidance. Madoka quickly found out why, although she wanted to dress the girl in every layer of protection possible. These, however, looked like they could fit two or three of the tiny princess inside of them and have room to spare. She frowned.

"Madoka," Audrey said slowly. "I don't think these clothes would fit me very well. Plus, armor doesn't really fit my character build."

A scoff escaped Madoka. She will tear the entire establishment down to get Her Highness in some better protection. It was not long until they found the smaller pieces of gear, as the strange princess called them. The two bickered about their views on the girl's dress code the whole way through. It was armor with enough metal plating that looked like it could at least pin her down and prevent the wind from toppling her over. That is what Madoka argued for, but Audrey simply refused.

"How about you buy some stuff for you, then!" she countered after Madoka insisted a lighter slab of metal for her to wear.

"B-Buy stuff for me?" Madoka stammered. "I-I'm a servant, not someone who can…"

The girls were eventually at the end of the shop, still undecided.

"You two," the shopkeeper finally spoke up. "Might I suggest the seamstress next door?"

The girls looked at him as if he grew a second head before registering what he suggested.

"That's brilliant!" Audrey barked as they exited the shop. "See? That's more up our alley. How could we even move in these heaps of metal, huh?"

"It's not about moving," Madoka retorted. "That shopkeeper probably just said that to maintain peace and quiet! Besides, the armor is all about keeping you in one place so I can keep watch over you easier."

"That's easier for you to say, but I'm much quicker than you think now," Audrey protested. "Need I remind you that I can teleport now. I have the technology! You can't—"

"Are you two… House Dalion?" A Sovos woman's voice interrupted them.

The two girls stopped immediately, staring down at her. Madoka noticed immediately that she was well dressed. It was clear that she must be the seamstress that the traitor shopkeeper told them about. Wait, she narrowed her eyes on the clothing. Those patterns seemed familiar.

"We are," Madoka nodded.

"L-Lady Saze informed us of your arrival," the young Sovos woman bowed to them. "Please, come with me."

"Lady Saze?" Audrey shyly asked from behind her. Madoka was impressed how quickly the princess had reverted from the snapping girl bickering with her moments before. "Oh, yeah! The Lady who gave us those clothes way back in Livertorjan! See, Madoka? We had nothing to worry about!"

Madoka crossed her arms and looked away. She would never tell Audrey that she secretly preferred the style of the traveler's clothes that the Sovos woman was wearing over the piles of armor in that shop. Inside, the shop was more warmer and personal. A group of women wielding staves were gathered around another seamstress, comparing sets of glowing robes with each other. They were led straight by to a separate dressing room carved in the back end of the cave.

"I am Ruta, apprentice of Lady Saze," the Sovos lady bowed. "She informed me that I was to attend to the both of you when you arrive in the Capital. T-Thank Ceghinort, I managed to spot you."

"P-Please, take care of Audrey," Madoka bowed. It was then she noticed that there were two other seamstresses looking at not only the adorable princess with gleaming eyes, but also her.

"Oh," Ruta's timid voice somehow held an edge of eagerness within it, like a cat who had found its prey. "S-She said both members of the e-esteemed House Dalion were to be attended to today."

The snap of a measuring tape being pulled taut was the last thing she heard before a flurry of hands took to them. Madoka was spun around, fussed over, and put in many sets of robes, like she was in a whirlwind. She did not even have the time to question why Lady Saze wanted them to go through this treatment before there were many piles of new traveler's clothes given to her. Ruta's smile never left her face. Madoka had no idea how such passion was stored within the timid Sovos girl. She did not even flinch when she put all the extra sets directly into the Storage Talisman. In fact, that made them pile even more clothes upon them.

"We appreciate your business!" She cheered after Audrey left them some copper and silver coins.

Then they were immediately kicked right back out onto the street, dressed in new clothes and catching their breath.

"Well, that was…"

Madoka stared at the princess and did not hear another word she was saying. She looked radiant. They had put her in a dark blue garb, but it did not take away from her beauty. What a world of difference new dresses and outfits can put Her Highness in! She remained in a daze, even as she was being taken to the next leg of their journey: The Adventurer Guild Hall.

The building stood tall and proudly over all the burrows around it. It was its own structure and inside was the same layout as both the former Gladeban's Guild Hall and the one in Livertorjan. The only difference was the open windows on the second and third floors, where several winged Adventurers flew into from overhead. The familiarity of the interior gave Madoka a sense of ease. There was at least one thing she understood in this new, unfamiliar city.

In the Hall, she felt a pair of eyes immediately lock onto her. Next to the counter in the back stood the Adventurer Guild Master of Ceghinortan herself, Lady Theonys. Luxgor was standing next to her, also staring and beckoning them to come. Madoka's breath caught. Lady Theonys was truly beautiful and stood a few heads taller than Luxgor. She also sensed that she was indeed, more deadly than any of the Adventurers she had encountered before.

"House Dalion," Lady Theonys clapped her hands. Her cool voice was deadly to her ears as well. Instinctively, she looked at Audrey nervously. The girl was utterly transfixed by the Guild Master. This was bad! "I've heard many, many good things about you two. Come."

Luxgor shot them a look, then he shrugged and to Madoka's horror— he did not follow them up the stairs. Instead, he flew out and left them to fend for themselves. Madoka clicked her tongue. That man truly was a coward!

They entered through a large door at the third floor, neither party nor Adventurer Guild Master spoke a single word. Lady Theonys circled around her desk and sat, kicking her feet on it. The sudden relaxed pose she displayed took Madoka by surprise.

"Sit, sit!"

Madoka looked at Audrey, who also looked at her with an equally flustered expression. Her will to anticipate anything dissolved, so she unceremoniously settled into one of the cushioned chairs. Her eyes were locked onto the boots, which glowed purple. She understood the aura, but thought back to the myriad of armor the princess argued her way out of from wearing earlier. Her Knotting magic was informing her that even the Guild Master's shoes were powerful pieces of gear. They kicked in an uneven, lazy rhythm.

"Ceghinort," Lady Theony began. Her voice carried from behind the boots and then her wings unfolded, blocking the sunlight temporarily pooling in from the windows. "He has an arrangement for the Adventurers in the Rustazen Palace. You two, are obviously invited to attend as the main stars of the group. The face of the disaster, both its beginning and end."

"H-Hai," Madoka found herself nodding along.

The boots withdrew themselves and the dashing face of Lady Theonys leaned closer to them, propped on her forearms. The gaze was intense. She was someone who would take some getting used to, but she certainly did not trust the Guild Master. She could only hope that the wariness in her own eyes was not obvious. After a long moment of intense staring, the Lady leaned back into her chair.

"Luxgor, Ceghinort, Drezgor," she recited each of the names as if she was discussing the names of insects. "Even Fate. Their descriptions of you all simply pale in comparison to actually seeing both of you face to face. I can see what you two truly are. More than just Servant. More than just Princess."

Upon hearing that this powerful entity knew their true identities, Madoka burst into a growl, the chair scraping against the wooden floor already as she was about to pounce. Audrey's hand shot up and stopped her from unleashing her fury.

A kind god interfering with their identities was bad news, was it not? Then a servant of his definitely was also equally perilous. She sat back after she realized that she could not move against the princess's steady hand. Still, she had her Crystal at the ready in case things go out of hand. Lady Theonys, for her part, simply remained unfazed by the outburst.

"Why had you come back to us?" She carried on. "Back from your home? No, don't tell me. Your eyes, they are full of her. Truly and physically."

The contradictory commands and the woman's studying confused Madoka, so she remained silent.

"You don't get to my heights if you can't see right through people," Lady Theonys chuckled, dangling the jade Adventurer tag. Star Jade, she remembered Ceghinort showing them a tag back in that grotto. The Guild Master settled into her chair, her face still full of wonder as she looked at the two. "Still, an Otherworlder and a kind goddess standing right in front of me, what an honor."

Madoka had no words, so she grunted and looked at Audrey. The girl was still sitting there, gazing at the Guild Lady with a stricken look. Did any of the stranger's words stay in her head, even for a second? Jealousy immediately ignited in the maid, so she grabbed Her Smittenness's shoulders and gave them a hard shake.

"Aaaaa!" Audrey snapped out of her stupor. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, Madoka, sorry.—" She faced the unflappable Lady Theonys, who remained expressionless at the sight of their antics. "So what, you know a few things about us. What's an Otherworlder, anyways?"

A small laugh escaped the Guild Master, while Madoka was surprised the princess was listening to her amidst her hopeless stare.

"Oh, you did not know? Even the gods tell you what you are, yet you claim ignorance?" Lady Theonys's cool voice rang out, accompanied by the squeak of her chair scooting as she rocked leisurely on it.

Audrey was clearly probing for information on other people like her, but Madoka's mind was reeling over the fact that another or even more than one individual like the Princess could exist in this world. The cool beauty before them seemed aware of her intention, but obliged them with a calculating smile.

"Otherworlders have appeared in Pnaumen before you," she said. "Warring has many such cases of those born in Darkness. Even Esmeralda has had one in their historical records. The Truth Guild has limited information on their nature. You two will be working there in time, but you—" she glanced from Audrey to Madoka. "— What will the little Truth researchers have on you?"

"Not much about me that's special anyways," Madoka scoffed. She felt an incredulous look coming from Audrey fall on her and a raised eyebrow from Theonys.

"House Dalion, you must know of your incredibly unique position by now. Word of your exploits in the Gladeban Petals has already spread wide and far. I know you two have returned here from the Uracksheegal, your lofty heights because this world has something you need. But the Guild has eyes upon you. They don't all look at you two the same way I do. Whether you can muster the strength to seizing what you seek over the obstacles is up to you and your tags."

She let the words linger on them for a moment. Madoka suppressed a sigh. Star Jade ranked Adventurers were far above Diamond rankers in both strength and perception, and they were all the way down in Silver. The phrase "born in Darkness" sounded sinister and offensive to her ears, but the feeling of being read like a book was a different kind of unsettling chill to her mind.

Audrey's eyes remained on glimmering tag hung on the Guild Master's slender fingers. It had utterly captivated the girl, but the work ahead of them suggested that it was not a reward that could be taken easily. It implied that far more dangerous things than the Gift Giver or even the Uracksheegal awaited them. Lady Theonys switched the subject as if the detonation of questions she set off was merely trivial. Looking at her princess once again, Madoka could only wonder if this particular branding of trouble was what she wanted.

"Now onto the main point," the Guild Lady pointed outside. The head of a dragon statue was peaking from above on another district somewhere. "A week from now, Ceghinort has invited all Adventurers from all journeys for a festival in his palace. It is formal and Nobles will be present. Until then, there's shops and the Artisan Guild for you two to get everything in order. Of course, that is, if you plan on resting. There's also an endless amount of commissions…"

Something struck Madoka's mind, like talons carving their way through both her eyes and skull. Theony's voice became a distant echo and her vision swam through a variety of clouds and colors. Someone tugged on her sleeve from her side, but she felt like something was about to burst from her stomach through her throat.

A nasty taste clogged her mouth and she hurled it out, vision plunging into darkness and skin crawling. I am… Sick? The realization struck Madoka. She finally let out even more from her mouth before the sensation of falling collapsed her consciousness completely.

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