Considering that there was a lengthy cooldown for Ekta’s [break curse] the group of maids, a magical girl, slime girl and a fmingo had some time to kill. Alex had hoped that they wouldn’t have to spend the night in the temple but unless they trusted the less sane clergy to help that looked like it wouldn’t be an option.

  A second maid’s robotic expressionless face showed signs of a personality again. “Uh, what happened? I feel like I just woke up from a dream.”

  “Hello.” Fufi asked the maid. “Do you remember your name?”

  “Maid.” She furrowed her brow. “No, that can’t be right. What is my name?”

  “Maybe take some time to sit down for a bit.” The fmingo suggested. “I hope it’ll come back to you after some rest.”

  The third maid's terrified screams echoed through the temple's hallowed halls as she fled the library, the curse's grip finally broken. Her panicked footsteps faded with each turn, leaving them to worry about her fate within the byrinthine temple. One of the Tikas, eventually discovered the exhausted woman, her fear subsiding into trembling fatigue. With gentle reassurance, Tika guided her back to the library, preventing another potential transformation into a Tika clone - a fate Alex was immensely relieved to avoid.

  The thought of someone losing themselves within the temple's endless corridors sent a shiver down Alex's spine. It was a fate potentially as grim as being transformed into a perfect maid, just with a different uniform and duties. The disorienting maze of rooms and passages could easily swallow someone whole, leaving them trapped in an endless cycle of wandering and confusion.

  Thankfully, the repeated emphasis on the ck of necessity for a bird flu cure had resonated with a significant portion of the clergy copies. The constant reminders had instilled a sense of calm and reason within them, preventing further panic and potential transformations. The message had been clear: there was no need to fear a nonexistent ailment, and succumbing to hysteria would only lead to further chaos and confusion.

  By the time they were on the 4th curse break Alex had decided to find a book, any random book and hid in the mezzanine level of the library.

  “Meru!” Merumeru hugged the crying former maid.

  “I never want to see dy Yvne again.” She wailed. “We are not cattle that they can just sell off!”

  “Do you remember your name?” Fufi tried to give her something else to focus on.

  “My name.” The maid stopped sobbing and got a look of intense concentration on her face. “I think it was Bernard.”

  “Congratutions on breaking the curse Bernard.” Fufi didn’t state the obvious, that Bernard was very female but had a male name. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like someone just opened the floodgates in my mind.” Bernard groaned. “The memories keep pouring in.”

  It went on like that for a while. Eventually, Alex had to step out and get a breather.

  Alex admired a giant statue with wings in a chapel area.

  “Do you like angels?” A Tika came up and stood beside Alex.

  “Is that what this is?” Alex turned to look at the bck-haired priestess.

  “Yes,” She bowed slightly in appreciation of the graven image. “They are our protectors.”

  “I thought it was just art.” Alex looked to the priestess then back at the holy-looking statue. “Angels do look really strong though.”

  Alex, feeling a sense of urgency to escape the priestess's potential coercion, swiftly bid her farewell. Expressing gratitude for the goddess's aid towards her cursed companions, she made a beeline back to the library, seeking refuge within its familiar walls.

  Upon her arrival, she was greeted by a scene of disarray - a group of maids were embroiled in a heated argument.

  "How could you abandon your mistress so effortlessly?" one maid reproached another, her voice ced with disapproval. "Do you have no pride in your position?"

  Bernard retorted, "I promised my parents I'd return. There was no future for me as a maid. I wasn't even a girl, and her household is renowned for training maids, not butlers. I was certain it was some kind of mistake."

  The first maid scoffed, "It's an honor to serve the mistress." Her disdain was palpable. "You clearly need to be retrained."

  Another maid chimed in, "We'll rectify your attitude when we return to the mistress. Once we complete this task Mistress Yvne assigned us, she'll restore order to her household."

  In the corner, a former maid sat weeping silently, while another appeared catatonic, lost in her own world.

  "I already had a css!" a woman cried out in frustration. "How did I end up with a maid css? It shouldn't be possible to lose a css bestowed by a god."

  Amidst the chaos, Ekta's voice cut through, a calming balm to the frayed nerves. "It's getting te," he announced. "I suggest everyone calm down and get some sleep. We can continue this discussion in the morning."

  Once again, Alex declined the offer of lodging, insisting that they should remain together. They still had the travel trailer and the carriage. It would be a tight squeeze for everyone to find a pce to sleep, but it was only for a night. The importance of unity and shared purpose outweighed the temporary discomfort.

  The following day, the maids, in a dispy of resourcefulness and camaraderie, decided to utilize the cooking supplies stored within the carriage to prepare a substantial breakfast for everyone present. Their culinary skills were put to good use, and the aroma of freshly cooked food soon wafted through the courtyard, drawing the attention of the temple's inhabitants.

  A group of clergy members, intrigued by the activity, approached the maids and offered them additional ingredients and provisions from the temple's stores. This unexpected gesture transformed the simple breakfast into a communal feast. The courtyard, once quiet and contemptive, was now abuzz with activity as more and more people gathered to partake in the meal.

  The maids' cooking, honed by years of servitude, proved to be a delightful surprise for the temple's residents, who were unaccustomed to such culinary expertise. Word of the delicious food spread quickly, and soon, a sizable portion of the temple's popution had congregated in the courtyard, eager to share in the impromptu feast.

  The shared meal fostered a sense of community and eased the tension that had lingered from the previous day's events. For the freed maids, the act of cooking and serving others provided a sense of normalcy and purpose, offering a comforting respite from the turmoil they had experienced. The familiar routine of domestic work, once a symbol of their servitude, now became a source of soce and healing.

  “Thanks for the meal.” One Ekta, not a young and dysfunctional one, offered his blessing. “I hear that you all need help getting curses broken. With everyone here those of us that can use [break curse] could speed things up and you could be on your way sooner.”

  No one objected and within the hour all of the remaining maids had their freedom of thought back. There were more tears and women shouting curses at Yvne but they made it through it.

  “Is everyone ready to head back?” Alex saw the sun full up in the sky. “We got everyone sorted so we could head back to the isnd when you’re ready.”

  Some of the maids got a shocked look on their faces.

  “But then I’d have to work for Yvne and her family again.” The maid paled. “I don’t ever want to visit that demon of a woman again.”

  “To be fair,” Fufi pedantically added her two coppers. “She has been freed of the demon that was possessing her. So she isn’t actually a demon anymore.”

  Alex gave the bird a look. “I don’t think that’s helping.” She looked back to the maids. “What do you want to do? You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”

  One of the Yuti’s chimed in. “Well, Catalina’s temple could use some domestic help. So, I don’t think we’d be opposed to anyone that wanted to stay here joining us.”

  “Joining….” Alex eyed the clone wearily. “As in becoming a fellow priestess?”

  An old Ekta tried to address the concern. “If someone doesn’t want to join we won’t make them. It is a shame that no one can acquire a css from her anymore in the traditional way but that can’t be helped.”

  “I would like to stay here.” Bernard, whose girly voice didn’t match their name, stepped forward. “I can’t face my family like this. They wouldn’t even recognize me.”

  “Is your family back in town?” Alex sounded worried. “What happened to them?”

  The maid got a look of intense concentration on her face. “I haven’t seen them in a couple years. I can barely remember them.”

  Another maid added. “The peasants sometimes get sent to other counties. It is not uncommon for families to be split up.”

  “Who all has family back in town that you can remember?” Alex surveyed the women.

  About half raised their hands.

  “Do you want to go back to them?” Alex asked.

  “Yes, magical girl Alex.” All of the ones with their hands raised spoke in unison.

  Apparently, old habits died hard.

  In the end half of the maids decided to head back to town to seek out their families from before they were transformed into maids. The rest for some odd reason wanted to try starting over at the temple of Catalina. Only one maid wanted to return to Yvne. Alex thought it might have been the maid that scolded the other woman about duty to the mistress but wasn’t sure. They all looked alike.

  After some awkward farewells, a clockwork carriage pulling a make-shift travel trailer headed out of the gates of the temple and into the cold gcial ndscape. Only it was about half as full with people as when it arrived.