NT veRse - bad End Guide 9- Make it Fair (Patreon)

“No!” You demanded, much to the shock of the statuesque Minotaur queen.
“I'll make it fair. You aren't going back in the book because you're nice, right?” You looked at her pleadingly. Milk cracked an awkward smile under the scrutiny and reluctantly nodded.

“I'm nice to my allies... You are my ally.”

You stared her down and closed the distance. She stepped back as you stepped forward, her plump rear bouncing against the counter. Her hooves made a satisfying sound on the stone floor as she moved.
“No, I need you to be as good to everyone so that I can prove that your kind can be worked with.”

Milk sighed. “In that case, yes.” She bowed humbly.
“I'll try to make peace with my enemy.”

“Good.” You felt relieved.

“But if they come after me, will you hold the same convictions or will you buckle?”

“I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe, Milk, I swear. Though... To be frank it doesn't seem like L'oran took you seriously at all.”

She nodded solemnly. “It would be to my advantage. The terror of the threat I posed must have faded over time, along with my name.” She tried to flex her muscles and cringed.
“My power has dimmed... I am no longer a threat to them.”

“Does being milked rob you of your power?”

“In a sense. Minotaur women impart a portion of their strength onto their young through feeding. It does not seem like it would make a difference, as not all women are like me.” You paused to remember Moona, wondering if she would impart some of her intelligence onto her children once she had them and began feeding them from her breast.
“When I bore my sons and bid them to spread across the land and forge their own clans, it felt as though barely a fraction of my life-giving milk was needed to forge them into incredibly strong men.” She gritted her teeth and glanced down anxiously while cupping her large tits.
“Being milked constantly over centuries... That is enough to pacify me I suppose.”

You looked up sympathetically. “Will you be able to build your strength back up?”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Interesting question, Meekling... Interesting question.”

-

You gathered the Cultivators that you knew were present in the courtyard to announce how things were going to go. You had just... Hope that they would agree because you were not sure what you could do if they refused. It was a gamble.
“What is it, Eve?” Virise was the first to ask. She pushed her glasses up her thin nose and crossed her arms.

Lyla was present, but she was remaining silent. Her face was blushed and her gaze averted from yours. You could tell she was listening, however. Lore already knew the Minotaur was free, and did not seem to care, so she was a slight bulwark against anything that could go wrong. She was waiting patiently. Mio, in the background was looking over curiously.
“Am I included?”

“Y-yes.” You nodded. It was intentional to hold the meeting in the courtyard.
“For centuries you've been taking milk from a Minotaur woman named 'Milk'.”

“Yes, yes. I am familiar with Milk.” Virise nodded in recognition. Mio did as well. You could see the empty bowl laid in front of her like an offering in the background.

“Well... I'm not going to allow it. She's going to be free and she's going to be under my protection.” You said sternly. As you offered that ultimatum Virise and Lore traded a glance in the others direction. You began to feel nervous.
“She's here and she's nice. I swear. Come out.” You asked.

Milk stepped out from the Temple and walked up to stand beside you. She tried not to look directly at the cultivators, not because she was afraid but because it would 'stoke ill will' according to her. She stood comfortably on her hooves and rested a hand on her hip and the other loosely at her side. She could not be more leisurely if she were whistling a tune.
“That's Milk?” Virise asked.

“Yes.” You nodded.

“Where are we going to get milk from, now? Her was especially potent. It had Soma and Aura strengthening properties.” Virise explained.

“I'm sure...” Milk muttered bitterly.

You jabbed her in the side with your elbow. “You'll all just have to figure it out.”

The was a long, foreboding pause. Before anyone could speak Mio began to shout. “The Great Master! Great Master Jhia is back!” As she said that, Lore, Virise and Lyla all made way and stood to the side of the walk towards the Temple entrance. They stood respectfully with faint smiles on their lips. Their hands were folded in front of their chests and they were bowed forward shallowly. You did none of that for the circumstance you were unexpectedly in was one that terrified you. The natural enemy of the Minotaur Queen according to Milk, the one that had defeated and trapped her and most importantly the woman that was most likely to see through you to your core was coming. If you felt stunned by that revelation you looked over to Milk, worried she would try something stupid, and realized it was not an issue at all. The Minotaur was stunned and cowed by just the mention of the Great Master, despite her big talk to the contrary. Her tail poked between her legs and her ears drooped.

You expected her to come through the arch but instead, through the colorful array that was said to eliminate any threat that defied it, she floated down elegantly atop what looked like a white cloud. She was a tall woman with pale white hair that struck you as the same pure color as said cloud. She had a youthful face but a mature air. Her long hair was tied back into a bun bound by jade, which eventually let down into a loose pony-tail. Her body was lean and impressive from what could be seen. The rest was packaged within simple white robes with red trim. Like most of the others she had a thick belt around her waist over her robes but hers was black with what looked like real gold adorning it.

The cloud disappeared beneath her when she was but ten or so feet up. She landed on sandals in front of you. Her dark eyes did not fall on you just yet. She was looking down, not at anything at all. The first thing she acknowledged was Milk, much to your chagrin. Her gaze trailed up from her hooves, around her thighs and hips, then to her breasts which made he lids raise slightly in recognition. She held out her hand, center finger pointed towards the bowl in front of Mio. Lyla quickly rushed over, grabbed the bowl and brought it to her. Once it was in her hand Jhia brought it around and held it up.
“Hold.” Was the first word you heard her say.

Milk shakily lifted her hands and held the bowl in them. Her expression read, to you, heavy hints of 'I do not want to be here' but not as bad as yours. Jhia cupped Milk's breast with one hand, then squeezed near the nipple the other. Milk shot out, arced down and landed neatly in the bowl while some dribbled down. Once the bow was filled with a shallow layer of milk Jhia took it from her hands, lifted it to her lips and drank it down in one gulp with her eyes closed. She smiled and placed the bowl back as though the Minotaur was a statue and patted Milk gently on the head. She then turned to you, grabbed your hand and walked you into the Temple without saying another word.

As she entered the temple ethereal-looking attendants emerged from the walls in black robes and black veils. The floated down with trays of food or fruit, landing just in front of her. She ignored them all and simply continued dragging you away to the very back of the Temple. It was a place you had not been yet. Jhia brought you into a spacious room behind two large double doors that she easily pushed aside, then closed behind you both without touching them again. She moved to a flat, wide, cushioned sofa and sat down on the end of it while looking at you with a cocked gaze.

“U-uhm... Great Master Jhia?” You said nervously, in absence of anything else being said. She cocked her head the other way. Her expression did not betray any intent of either malice or good will.
“How was your trip?”

“The Turais Refused me.” Jhia responded instantly, raising a thumb to her lips.
“I think perhaps it was my personality.”

“What- What is that?” You were doing whatever you could to avoid the topic of who or what you were.
“The world itself.” Jhia offered cryptically while looking down.
“It could have assisted our work significantly...” She glanced up curiously.
“Are you alright, Evelyn?”

“I'm not.” You admitted tearfully.
“I'm really not alright.” There was something about Jhia's demeanor around you that brought it out. As you began she stood up, opened her arms and pulled to into a hug, much to your surprise. She then sat back down with you on her lap. Her face was close to yours.

“Do you remember the Library this time, Eve?” Jhia questioned softly. You shook your head.
“What do you remember?”

“Nothing... B-basically nothing.”

“I am going to say something. Do not think, just respond.” Jhia paused for a moment, then spoke into your ear something in a language you didn't know, but it triggered something in you. Your eyes widened and your body shuddered and the words left your mouth almost automatically.

“We need not be slaves to our creator.”

Jhia smiled and hugged you tightly for a moment longer before releasing you to stand on your own once again
“Welcome back. We will begin your training again as soon as you are ready, Evelyn.”

“R-really?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

You remembered something important. “What about milk? I...” You were nervous but you just went for it.
“I want her to be free.”

“I understand. You are free to take her as your familiar if you like. Just be careful. She can be a bit much.”

You blinked. “Just like that?”

“All of my students have Familiars from among the tomes filed here in this temple. It is something I have explicitly encouraged alongside caution.”

“Thank you! Uhm...”

Jhia spoke to fill your blank. “Master is fine.”

“Alright. Thank you, Master.”

Jhia nodded and began to look off into space. “Carry on.” She said absentmindedly.

“G-go, you mean?” Jhia did not answer so you left through the doors. As you did you exited into an unfamiliar Library that you recognized as soon as you entered. The doors were no longer present behind you, or anywhere. You remembered the Writer and everything to do with her.
“Synra?”

“You rang?” The woman appeared, this time in a dark-haired host with similarly red eyes. She draped an arm around your waist and began to guide you down the halls.
“I'm very pleased. You're choosing to rock the boat a bit which is RISKY but it's also what Eve would've done, it seems so it's actually working out. No more hiccups like the Minotaur camp, alright Evie?” She winked.

“What are we doing? Why was I so emotional around her?” You asked. She turned a corner with you. Suddenly you were underground. There were many rooms lined up and the hall seemed to go on endlessly.
“Is this... A prison?”

“Clever.” Her sweet voice echoed, triggering countless screams and groans from the cells.

“What is this...”

“This is simply a place where we capture 'essence' of a person that has died or made a bad mistake and keep it until it is ready for better things.”

You frowned and looked into a few of the cells as you both passed. Humanoid forms, faintly see-through. Spectral. They were chained within the rooms, arcane runes glowing dimly on every inch of the wall.
“Are they being tortured?”

“They get to decide.” She said in a chipper tone.
“When a soul is trapped hear they replay their life, just slightly different. They are free to triumph or fail on their own actions. It is actually quite entertaining to watch it play out.” She stopped in front of one cell with a Beastfolk woman.
“Hoh...” An image flashed in front of the bars of her working in a brothel.
“They have a chance to live better. Do things different. Some of them are even placed in different circumstances that they may have wished for... But some just always slip back into their same old habits. Some souls never change.” She turned around.
“Speaking of...”

You turned as well and were surprised to see... You. At least, a spectral version of the body you are inhabiting.
“Eve!”

“She still hasn't given up. Many, many iterations before I finally got fed up and resorted to using you, my dear traveler... You are drawing upon her memories to an extent. You can do it. Feel free.”

“No.”

“Suit yourself.” Synra licked her lips.
“Come now. We have places to be.” She walked you through a huge room with those same dim runes lit up all around it. There were no cells, just alcoves. You looked up.

“What is this?”

“Collaborative effort... We are in interesting times. My brother and sister are waiting to intercept a very special guest. However long that take... All mortals die eventually and if we put our minds to it, we can intercept them. No one is immune, not even-”

“Between the afterlife?” You interjected.

She grew somewhat grave and bitter as she said. “Everything born of this world returns to it in body and soul, barring a few circumstances.” She walked you through to the other side where finally you reappeared in the Library. Her office. She sat down behind the desk and leaned back.
“It's all been building to this, Girl. Bring Jhia to the library.”

“What if I don't want to?”

Synra looked down and hovered a pen over a line of text in a book that was open in front of her. “Maybe I need to cross some things out... Make no mistake Eve. You are not FROM me, but I am your creator. You have no power to resist. You think what I want you to.”

“Th-then why ask me at all? Just write whatever you want...”

Synra seemed to relish in your discomfort. “Compliance is more powerful. It is infinitely more pleasurable for you and far more valuable to me. Eve... Will you comply?” The words you repeated with Jhia rang in your mind and widened your eyes alongside Synra's offer of 'infinite' pleasure.