There were a lot of details meticulously placed in each of the offices and plaques explaining everything everywhere. It was clear that Hera had tried to stay as objective as she could, but some praise slipped in here and there, except in her own office. The tendency to downplay her own accomplishments was something she shared with Apollyon.

In her office, Apollyon ran her hand along the desk. “You kept it.”

“Of course. Why would I replicate a desk? I mean, I could make a replica and you can take the proper one with you if you want.”

“A week ago, I would have said no. Today, I must admit that I am tempted.”

“Did you have an epiphany or something this week?” Hera sounded a little confused.

“One could say that. Kate pushed me to confront a few things.”

“Quite successfully it seems. But to get back to the desk, if you want it, it is indeed yours. As is everything in here. Or in this entire city actually.”

Apollyon shook her head. “No. The only things that are mine are in this room. And they will stay here. I will ask Sitri if she can make another desk, maybe even add the same imperfection on the surface, but the original will remain here in its rightful place.”

“I must disagree about the desks rightful place. If you want to ask Sitri for a handmade replica, go ahead, but this original belongs with you.”

Before Apollyon could answer, Kate spoke up. “I agree with Hera. This is your desk, part of your history, and it would be a good object to show your acceptance of your past.”

Apollyon took a moment to think before speaking. “I will not have it in my home, but I will agree to turning one of the conference rooms in the library into an office for all of us. Whoever needs to do work there can use this desk. Would that be acceptable to you?”

“Only if you use it too.”

“I will.”

“Then I am all for that idea.”

“And I am too.” Hera sounded happy. “Do you want me to replicate the desk by magic or call in Sitri?”

Apollyon shook her head. “Whatever you think is best. It is your museum after all.”

“Alright. I will replicate it with magic and bring the original over to the library whenever you are ready for it.”

“Very good, thank you.” The former General continued her slow walk around her old office, taking in the memories both good and bad. “I hope you do not take offense, Hera, but I think I prefer my current coworkers. We are equals in the way you and I could never have been in the past. As much as I had wished for there to be a closer connection between us, me and all of the High Command, there was always a distance I felt I could never overcome.”

“No offense taken. It was strange to be part of the last remnant of pre-immortality Hell. All over the place, hierarchies were torn down and distances bridged. But here? Here we held on to the old ways. I wonder what would have happened if we too had changed.”

“I do not know and I hope I never will. Creating a new grand army of Hell must remain a path untravelled.”

“Agreed. We did good work but, in the end, Hell is better off without an army.”

“Indeed. Well, let us not fall into too much of a negative sentiment. I promised to avoid that. There is something else here that I wanted to show Kate. I assume you have found a place for the chariot.”

“We have. I think you’ll like it. Follow me.”

Hera led Apollyon and Kate down a long flight of stairs to an underground facility that according to Apollyon didn’t exist before. After passing through a set of massive doors, the chariot finally came into sight. It hung in the air in a massive hangar, not attached anywhere. There were multiple levels of walkways around it to properly take in the massive ship from all angles. It didn’t look like a ship though. Its central hull was almost like an obelisk lying on its side flanked by two unattached stylized back-swept wings, all seemingly carved from a single piece of black stone gently shimmering with a subtle deep red.

“I knew it had to be big but… wow.” Kate put her hands on the railing of the walkway.

“Freya’s chariot. Could you imagine what it would have been like to see a fleet of these in the sky?” Hera sounded almost proud.

“Terrifying. I hope I never have to see that. I imagine this is the pinnacle of magical weaponry, isn’t it? Not in what you want from it philosophically, but in pure efficiency.”

“In a way. A single demon can do more than a chariot ever will, but this does something a singular demon will struggle to do: be a true visual deterrent to everything in a large area like a city.”

“And much to my chagrin, it does something that we might need in the future.” Apollyon sighed. “Azazel has voiced concerns that if we ever have to fight a human military, we might not be able to beat it without large amounts of human casualties, both military and civilian. We all are powerful but we can only be one place at a time. Something like the chariots, controlled remotely, could mitigate that.”

“I hate that we are considering putting it back into service. I understand why but I hate it. I never want to see a single chariot used again.”

Kate didn’t respond but walked onward instead, taking in the huge war machine in all its terrifying glory.

“Kate?” Apollyon wasn’t sure what that silence meant.

“Yes.”

“I would appreciate your thoughts.”

“I would love to keep this beautiful monster in here. But I also know humans enough to know that they will never take a single demon seriously. Even if you sink all of the British Isles, there will be people in France who have seen that happen right in front of them who will claim that demons aren’t that strong or that those islands were never destroyed in the first place or that it could never happen anywhere else. One chariot will not be enough.” Kate sighed. “As long as these things are not incinerating everyone’s front lawn there will always be people denying reality. I suppose, in the end, using it depends on how and what you want to win. Do you want the human nations to surrender or do you want the people to fear you?”

Apollyon nodded. “I sadly agree with that assessment. Given all I know, if we ever clash with humanity, it would be the hour of cleansing Jolene mentioned multiple times. Are you aware of the prophecy Azazel made when she became what she is now?”

“Prophecy? No.”

“We usually don’t put much stock into these kinds of fortune telling shenanigans. But with Azazel we know that she has seen many parts of many futures. According to her, she will end humanity in one way or another. That could be her killing the last humans resisting us in a few years or gently cradling the last human as they pass many aeons from now. It all depends on what paths we choose. Jolene for her part would rather avoid the first option and I believe she is working to push us towards the best or at least a better path.”

“That is… I don’t know, worrisome and hopeful at the same time I suppose. Do you know the exact wording of Azazel’s prophecy?”

“’I will be humanity’s final moment. Both witness and instrument to their end.’ That was all she said.”

“That is damn ominous. Well, I will do my best to stave off that hour of cleansing a bit.” Kate looked up the chariot. “I must admit that there is a part of me that loves this thing. The chariot I mean.”

“I feel the same. I am proud of what it is and how far we pushed our magical and technological means with it, but I am also proud that we decided to not use it again. It is a marvel.”

“And beautiful in its own intimidating way. Almost like you.”

Apollyon smiled. “I will take that compliment, but I hope you see more in me now than the intimidation you felt all those years ago.”

“Polly. I know you talk to a plush duck to help make decisions. I know that being intimidating is just for the optics.”

“A correct assessment.”

“I am kind of jealous though. I wish I could be that casually imposing.”

“I am sure you will manage it if you try.”

“Hold on, wait.” Hera interrupted. “You talk to a plush duck?”

“Yes. Did you not know?”

“No? I talk to my plushies too, I never thought you did that as well. You always seemed too…well, cool for that.”

Apollyon laughed. “I remember talking to my duck about going to war twice among many more things. I told Kate, mere days after we met, that all demons seek out the unconditional love and warmth of plush animals. I believe the ability to project these emotions onto something not living and minor as a plushie, to give it meaning purely for yourself, is one of the most important parts of being a thinking and feeling person. Of being truly alive.”

Hera tilted her head slightly. “I never took you for a person to pick a duck though. A cat maybe, but why a duck?”

“Ducks are cute.”