Devilla was surprised to see Sui back at work just three days after the whole situation with Velven and Sarglan, sorting out various relationship advice questions for Devilla to answer and he even gave some of his own advice as well. She noticed that the advice he was giving out was more about maintaining mental heath after a bad break-up then it was general relationship advice.
"You know Sui, you can have a longer break to find yourself and make sure you're truly ok." Devilla told him as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. He didn't flinch like he usually did this time which made Devilla happy for this progress. She recalled the first time she got his application, how happy he seemed at first with his new girlfriend before she eventually drop the mask she was wearing. The scars his body would display under the heavily applied make-up filled her with endless remorse. She remembered with pure pleasure when she visited his now ex-girlfriend and mentally scarred her into being a better person.
"Don't you ever come into contact with him again. Please use this opportunity to reflect on your life." Devilla said sweetly to the woman who was now mentally broken as she rocked herself back and forth like a swing set, her eyes wide with trauma. Feeling the pain she inflicted on Sui by a thousand.
"In some ways, Sui finding himself working here was another case for me. Loving someone is truly amazing, but loving someone who doesn't love you is just torturing yourself. and i refuse to standby and let him or anybody continued to be abused by the person they love." Devilla thought as she maintain a smile on her face.
Of course Sui never knew about this. All he know is that his girlfriend left a long and detailed note explaining how sorry she was for everything and never came back to their shared cottage that fateful night.
"Thanks my sexy Goddess, but i like working here. I would like to apologize for my general demeanor over the past months. I was...in a ready dark place at the time, and sometimes i still find myself slipping back into my bad habits but i been doing my best to recognize this and stop myself." Sui said as he organized the letters that was specially sent to Devilla in a neat pile and gave them to her.
"Don't apologize, we all find ourselves in bad situations every now and then. Sometimes even when the situation is far behind us we found ourselves tethered to it like it a disease eating away at us. But true strength lies in moving on from these events." Devilla wisely said as she saw Hera coming from behind.
Hera approached from behind Sui holding a small stack of papers, Devilla had some new requests from the Modern realm, This realm is home to the Galactic Knights Of Xanilla, The Goddess of the Galaxy and worst Mario kart player ever. She would have to go there next week.
With some requests she could appear directly but for some others such as these she needed to be more discreet. Not to mention that entering a new realm will drastically change her powers. As true with all Gods.
"Good Morning Sui!" Hera said with a radiant smile.
"Moring Hera. How are you doing today?"
"Fine and you yourself?" Hera said with a smile, she saw that his aura was now a brighter coral, which means that the person had come to terms with something.
"I'm…I'm good." Sui said with hesitancy and surprise at how he actually feel happy and calm for the first time in awhile.
"That wonderful! Oh! That remind me Kassina needs your help in the cafeteria, there seems to be a dispute about who smoked the last blunt?" Hera said, sorta confused as she didn't realize that they could smoke in here. She only knew of blunts due to one of her uncles who was a demonic werewolf being a chronic smoker himself. The smell was calming to her though, not too calming to her mother who had to burn forty incenses of different variety when Hera's uncles visit.
Sui laughs to himself.
"Ok i be there. Thanks for telling me." Sui said as he walked off but stopped for a moment.
"Hey Hera?"
Hera turned around.
"Thank you."
Hera nodded.
"Don't thank me, i didn't really do much." Hera said honestly as he left for the cafeteria.
Devilla winked at Hera who gave a wink back. How adorable. Devilla than turn her attention to the red-headed succubus who was now walking towards Hera with the eyes of a predator and grinned. She was wearing a black dress shirt and business casual cream-colored slacks. It was impressive how silent the succubus can be.
"Look like your little girlfriend wanted to wish you luck!" The Goddess noted, her tone warm as a fireplace.
Hera's eyes widen at this as she turn around to be met with Furiosa herself.
Furiosa grabbed Hera, causing the hybrid 's mouth to open in surprise, her expression one of concern and embarrassment because she has a idea of what was coming. Her idea was soon validated as Furiosa slid her long tongue into her mouth and explored it just like she did the night Hera saved her from Sazael. She could hear Hera moaning and that damn near made her lose control. Hera wasn't resistant to this brazen display of pure love by Furiosa, a part of her enjoyed it and wanted it to continue but she was too embarrassed to confront that part of herself.
"Furi-Mmph! Pleas-Ahhh! Sto-oh! ' Hera tried to resist but got overcome with pure pleasure as Furiosa teased her body with her hands, her magic sending Hera into a minefield of lust and love. The Succubus's hands move through her silky hair.
".... mine… ." Furiosa said breathlessly as she glared at Hera's co-workers and more importantly Devilla herself who just chuckles at the succubus's declaration of love to her assistant.
And the clear statement she made to her and all her workers. She smirked at this wonderful couple and waves at Furiosa nonchalantly.
"So you're dedicated, good." Devilla thought as she felt truly happy.
"Have a good day my little angel." Furiosa whisper near her ear, making Hera's spine tingle. She gently bit Hera's earlobe and tug at it, Hera gasped, her face now entirely red like Devilla's shirt. Furiosa simply walked away with one thought.
"Consider what happen in the alley repaid, my guardian angel."
"I-i-i..." Hera was basically mind broken. Devilla giggled as Hera look around all wide-eyed like a deer finding it mate. Her Co-workers clapped in delight of Hera's new relationship!
"Ah… I'm going to look at those files now. Please excuse me" Hera said in a complete daze, her braid now undone, she walked face first into a wall and then composed herself as some workers helped her.
After work, Hera returned to her house at night, her thoughts filled with Furiosa kissing her and the question that she posed to her three days ago.
"Would you trust me?" Furiosa said, looking down.
Hera grabbed her hand and look at her with an intensity that Furiosa only ever saw once in those emerald eyes, it was the night Hera saved her from Sazael.
"Without question." She simply replied. She was a little angry that Furiosa would even dare think that she didn't fully trust her even after all this time.
Furiosa looks at her with a surprised expression that you would miss if you blink. Her face immediately went into a sadistic grin as her eyes glowed a dark purple, without warning she trapped Hera against the nearby wall of a small building using her body.
"Are you ready for what your blind trust would bring you? Furiosa asked close to Hera's ear making her shiver. The warm breath on her neck made her heart race, Hera noted the clear undercurrent of anger in her question.
The woman placed her hand on Furiosa's cheek causing her to look directly into Hera's green eyes.
"You're not the monster you think you are." She said softly. Hera didn't know much about Furiosa's upbringing because The Succubus would never bring it up, at least not while she was sober. But the times she came back to the dorms drunk, well...
Hera listened intensely, to every word. When Furiosa was done, it was like clockwork. She would look at Hera expecting to see one of disgust.
Instead, Hera looks at her with understanding. Like she always did.
Furiosa stayed silent for a moment. She turned away from her, the tears that fell down her cheeks were a betrayal of her emotions. And she couldn't…no she wouldn't…
Hera hugged her from the back. Furiosa turned in her arms and hugged her tightly like she was going to disappear if she stopped embracing her. She fully broke down and stop denying herself. Hera rubbed circles in her back, bringing Furiosa back to the old days at the academy.
To Hera, many things had changed, but their trust and devotion to each other is one thing that would stay resolute.
Hera opened the door to reveal her now wrecked living room. the once green couch that still smelled of beer broken in half to the spiders frantically crawling along the walls, their tanks broken. A note caught her emerald eyes, it was stuck with a knife to the wall next to a picture of her and Furiosa. She didn't register picking it up. She didn't even register that she was reading it until something caught her eye. One sentence.
DEAR ABOMINANTION.
BECAUSE OF YOUR BITCH ASS ANTICS, WE HAVE TAKEN YOUR BEST FRIEND-
All she truly registers is the rage that boiled inside her like a raging volcano and the scream that followed giving the skies above her terror and anger. There will be hell to pay.
She guarantees it.
Hera was no stranger to anger and fear.
Hell, it was the two cornerstones of her emotional spectrum during her days at EizenGarte.
She wanted to rip the skin off whoever would dare try to hurt her precious friend who had been there for her since forever. She saw spiders of various origins crawling along the wall frantically looking for their home, some crawl upon Hera once they recognized her and she soothed them. She uses stridulation,a low hissing sound to attract all the spiders to follow her back upstairs. None of the spiders seemed injured which calmed her.
What didn't calm her was the state of her decimated room, Some of the tanks were broken on the ground, her bed has a huge gash in it, the walls was smeared with....Hera wasn't quite sure. She smelled the blood, from one whiff it didn't belong to any animal she knew about.
First she talked to Venissa, who was a older Fringed Jumping Spider who usually guided the others and put her in charge.
"I learned from my mistakes, I gave them all a heart to heart about respecting other boundaries and made sure Bertraim kept watch over them." Hera said to herself, remembering the war between the Brown Recluses and The Black Widows.
"I need help. But from who?" Hera thought, she didn't want any harm to come to Bertraim, so asking Devilla was out of the question.
Was it?
Hera thought some more about this. Devilla is a Goddess, whoever did this to her probably didn't have any true power comparable to that of the Gods.
She quickly lighted some strawberry-scented incense that she got free from work and got on her knees.
The room shifted for just a moment, Hera felt a calm wash over her and the sound of heels clacking upon the floor.
"Well hello there my lovely assistant, I see that you are in great need." Devilla said with sympathy as Hera felt Devilla gently rubbing her cheek even if she couldn't see her.
"My friend have been kidnapped and I humbly request your help." Hera told Devilla as she felt the spiders crawl over her.
Devilla watches this with morbid fascination and fear. Wondering if her cute assistant also worship Anakriss, The Spider Goddess.
"I'm assuming this in relation to your pet?" Devilla asked as she saw the state of Hera's room , the note that now resided on Hera's desk filled her with anger.
"He is my best friend, I know that the note says that they will kill Bertraim if they see you but is there anyway you can help me save him?" Hera asked, desperate for a positive answer to demolish the dread that built up inside her.
"I can give you the location of someone who can help you a lot more than I can at the moment. Currently I'm in a different realm and it may take some time for me to get back. There are a ton of little heartbroken doves that need my help on earth." Devilla told her honestly.
"Someone else? Who did you have in mind?" Hera asked , curious of who Devilla would have have her seek out.
"Funny you mention that. This person is also a case that been on the back of my mind for quite some time. But this little dove has a habit of disappearing from my radar, it very unnerving." Devilla said seriously as she ate a slice of cherry pie as she stares out the window at the starry night sky over The city of Glory.
"This person a case too? I promise to help this person with their relationship problems after we save my best friend, I swear on it." Hera said seriously.
Devilla smiled. "This one isn't in a relationship, it more a problem with self-love."
"Self-love?" Hera asked, a little confused.
"Oh my darling, you didn't think I only focus on people who pursue and are in relationships, did you?" Devilla asked with a chuckle.
"I mean, yes?" Hera said tentatively.
"You thinking of my mother. Self-love is very important because if you can't love yourself, how in the seven hells are you going to love anybody else?" Devilla asked as she sat in her chair and lean back.
Hera nodded, her respect rising for the Goddess of Love.
"How am I going to find this person?"
Devilla snapped her fingers.
The blonde hybrid saw a path through the charred woods and twisting walkways of Burock, a historical area where Shangor crash-landed in a heap of fire and fury after getting attacked and sent into this realm.
And past those long and deep woods, a empty vast land that hasn't been touched.
"If you knew where he was , then why haven't you gone to help this person?" Hera had to ask.
"That the sensual rub to it all, when I try walking into that vast land, it was a barrier that block not only me but anybody who is a god. Even Cheelege the God of Chaos couldn't get in, although I think he is lying about it. However you aren't a God, I once saw a cat go through the barrier and completely disappeared and it came back a day later. So it safe to assume to you can go through being not a god and all. It may seem like we all got here a very long time ago but me, Garwik, Terra, Zylon and the Rest of the current batch of Gods are still somewhat new to Mount Mammoth. There are so many mysteries to this realm." Devilla explained to Hera.
Hera was already preparing for the trip and grabbed the knife that Furiosa gifted her. She has so many questions about the barrier, how can Devilla be sure that she can pass through the barrier? How do Devilla know that cat wasn't Cheelege who known to shapeshift from time to time. But Hera didn't have any time to ponder these questions, she wrote a letter to Furiosa and fished around in her drawer for awhile until she found a golden stamp that had a drawing of Zylon's shoe with wings attached to it, Devilla gave this to her as a special thank you for a job well done. This stamp alerted Zylon that a letter need to be delivered. Faster than regular mail. Then she put the letter in a envelope and placed the stamp and went downstairs.
"Good luck Hera , may love guide your path and say hello to Furiosa for me." Devilla finished with a teasing tone as Hera nodded somberly. Grateful to the Goddess of Love.
She prepared some sandwiches and grabbed the flasks of water and placed them in a picnic basket alongside the wrapped sandwiches and headed out.
Her rage propelling her forward.