"I need a few of your guests for a little test!" Hera said with a smile
A little while later in a more presentable and private setting, Aphrodite was seated in front of Hera and was looking at her queen who was smiling with a little apprehension after all it was not often that you could see her smile and very often it ended with someone being punished.
"A test!? What kind of test, I hope this is not a new type of curse! You know people come here to relax, decompress have a good time, I cannot have them..."
"This isn't a new type of curse or punishment!" she interrupted Aphrodite "Though if someone asks I would prefer you to confirm that it's the case," she said and she could nearly see the gears turn into Aphrodite's head start spinning
After a few seconds of her not responding Hera added "Maybe you are voluntary to help me in my experiment? Don't worry it won't hurt, I think!!"
After that sentence, a nervous smile appears on Aphrodite's face
"I think I'm gonna pass, but I have someone who can help you with that,"
A few minutes in Aphrodite's room the door was pushed open and a man with his hand bound together was brought in
Hera who was drinking some green tea with aphrodite lifted her head to see the prisoner
"A prisoner?" Said Hera a little surprised,
her surprise was a little understandable after all there were very few things that were considered that emprisoning people wasn't Aphrodite's preferred method of punishment.
"He tried to capture some of my girls and keep them for himself, and when he failed he tried to disfigure them, a scum like that needs to be taken seriously," she explained and Hera acquiesce for a woman and particularly for goddesses like Hera and Aphrodite a woman beauty is something sacred, that is something on which they agree.
"You are lucky, It happened recently so he is yours to do whatever you want with him,"
At that Hera responded nonchalantly "If he was not there I would've taken someone else, so I guess you are the lucky one, and like I said there is nothing dangerous about what I'm doing,"
A few minutes later
Hera was ignoring the man kneeling at her feet with his member bound by chains
With a feather of one of her favorite animals the peacock she was writing something on a paper in front of her
From time to time she took a sip of the tea in front of her before returning to her writing
After a few minutes, the mental state of the poor man in front of her was deteriorating
"Sigh," Hera let out a deep sigh
"Finally, I didn't think that was going to be so complicated, to make a contract, terms, penalties goals..." she muttered as she admired the result of her work
'I wonder if it will work even without his consent?!' she thought remembering the power that Maeron had bestowed her during the night they spent with Aphrodite in the wood,
'I guess this is because he gave me one of the powers that he took from her, I wonder how he is able to do that effortlessly!'
"Hm, no matter, what matters is that I master that completely! You!" she interpellated the man
"Y-Yes my queen,"
"What's your name,"
"M-my name is A-Arman Your Majesty!" he responded sheepishly
"Arman! Huh," she repeated while noting it on the paper, once it was done she threw the paper at him, and at the same time the chains bound him unlocked themselves freeing him
"Arman, sign that, that's a contract!" she said not caring about his opinion
"Sign!?" he asked in confusion
"Ha," seeing his reaction she realized that he probably didn't have a signature
"Cut your finger and put your fingerprint on the contract," she change her command
"Yes!" he obeyed without even thinking of refusing
Immediately after he did the paper a bright yellow light emanated from it before disappearing without leaving a trace.
"Argh," at the same time the man on the floor started to groan in pain holding his neck.
When he removed his hand after a few seconds Hera saw what appeared to be an eye on his neck and she felt something.
"A purple thread," she said slowly realizing what she was seeing was something similar to the red thread used in ceremonies like in wedding
Maeron was somehow able to find something in Aphrodite's love powers and used it to magnify her powers.
"I see, understand why he told me that I shouldn't have too much trouble understanding that Marriage is a form of contract after," she said in realization
Once she realized that he felt her powers grow a little more
Looking around her she saw a few threads around her threads of multiple colors red, purple, and yellow representing different types of contracts verbal, written, or even unspoken promises some broken and others firmly tied together she also felt some kind of authority to punish those who had broken those contracts, but the feeling didn't last for long
"Ouch," she said holding her head in pain realizing that she didn't have enough control over her new power
"This isn't just about the contract, this is incredible," she said getting up her eyes laced with determination I wanted all the application that that new powers give me,"
'I can use that on those dirty traitors and not just on them,'
Her eyes turned back toward the man catching his breath not far from her
"It shouldn't have been that painful, you shouldn't have even felt anything, forgive me little god, but I'm gonna need you to assist me a little longer.
*****
In the kingdom of Kartar in his sanctuary Maeron was standing in front of a man laying on a wooden bed with a contract in hand
After a few second the contract started to burn in his hand
"So it's fail!" he murmured
"Of course, I power cannot use to absorb another power, this is reasuring in a way!" he said looking at the ash dispersed in the wind
"Gotta use that then" he looked at the man on the wooden bed without any emotion on his face
"This is going to hurt!"
"Puff, argh," the sound of flesh being torn mixed with cries of pain Maeron unceremoniously plunged his hand into the body of the poor man who cried and convulsed in pain
It didn't take long for Maeron to yank his arm out of the body of the man before opening it to observe a glowing red orb
"Hah, this one has indeed a lot of power, this ability seems stronger than that of others half god than I saw," he muttered to himself
"Orcus!" he called before closing his fist and even though his voice wasn't that loud his faithful servant came to prostrate himself beside him
"Get up," he said and Orcus complied
"You have followed me since I escaped my prison,"
"It is a pleasure to me to be beside you, my god," Hearing the words of his subordinate Maeron smiled,
"What if I considered you to have served your purpose and find you now useless for my future endeavor," he said and he saw the eyes of his faithful servant tremble in fear as he looked at his indifferent expression after he saw many others emotions pass through Orcus until acceptance and resolution
With his resolved hardening, he responded "Yes my life is yours to take, if you judge me worthy of dying by your noble hand," At the hand of his sentence he felt a hand pierce him
"Then with your blood and life, I seal that contract of master and servant between you and me,"
After yanking his arm back Maeron felt Orcus fall on the ground before a huge fire erupted from his chest and engulfed him completely, after a few minutes of agony Orcus got up with a renewed vigor and a sense of purpose in his eyes
After examining his body and feeling the power coursing through his veins he once again fell to his knees
"My god and master I will follow you until the end of time!" he said solemnly
Maeron smiled at the word before replying " Yes, I believe you will," he said before turning around and walking out
"Take care of that,"
"Yes!" he replied looking at the body, eager to test his new power he created a flame that engulfed the body of the poor half-god until nothing could attest to his presence here.
Maeron walked outside, looking at the sky pensively while creating and dissipating a little flame in his hand
'I'm gonna have to teach him, teach them how to properly use their powers or they will be mostly useless and overconfident, but now it is time for me to see Hephaestos, I hope he responds favorably, it will be a shame if he refuses my offer.'