Chapter 15
by 
Yelawolf
Minthara...
Connects with your tadpole
The camp is eerily quiet as Minthara leads you to a secluded area, her crimson eyes gleaming with a predatory light. The others are kept at a distance, surrounded by armed cultists, their weapons drawn. Minthara’s voice is low, almost soothing, as she speaks.
“You carry the parasite within you,” she says, her tone matter-of-fact. “A gift from the Absolute. But you resist it. Why?”
You meet her gaze, your voice steady. “Because I don’t like being controlled.”
She smiles, a cold, calculating expression. “Control is not the Absolute’s goal. Unity is. Strength. Power. You could be so much more than you are, if only you embraced it.”
Before you can respond, a sharp pain erupts behind your eyes. The tadpole squirms, and suddenly, you’re no longer in control. Minthara’s voice echoes in your mind, smooth and insidious.
**“Let me show you what you could become.”**
Images flood your thoughts—visions of power, of armies bowing before you, of the Grove burning to the ground. The pain fades, replaced by a strange, intoxicating warmth. Minthara’s voice is a whisper in your mind, coaxing, tempting. A picture of her wearing very little flashing through your nesting skull.
**“The Grove is weak. A relic of a dying world. But you… you could be so much more. Join us, and together, we will reshape the world in the Absolute’s image.”**
You shake your head, trying to clear the fog, but the visions linger. The Grove, the tieflings, your companions—all of it seems small, insignificant compared to the power she offers.
Minthara steps closer, her voice soft but commanding. “The choice is yours. Prove your loyalty, and the Absolute will reward you beyond your wildest dreams. I will personally reward you for being a faithful soldier. Fail and scurry back to the Grove… and you will be discarded like the rest. I will put your handsome head on a pike."
The connection snaps, and you stagger back, your breath coming in ragged gasps. Minthara watches you, her expression unreadable.
“Think on it,” she says, her tone final. “But do not take too long. The Absolute is not patient.”
As she strides away, you’re left alone with your thoughts, the weight of her words pressing down on you. The road ahead is darker than ever, and one thing is clear: the choice you make will change everything.