"I... don't know. There are so many things I don't know. But, it doesn't take a major devil to cause a disaster.

What I'm thinking is... we need to be smarter, quicker than them, not stronger."

"Being quicker than them would be easy. And being smarter sounds like it should be extremely doable."

"Can I get another hug?"

"You know what? I think you should fall asleep with me hugging you. I think that's probably necessary." Cynthia takes off everything but her underwear and hugs Sana, before slowly taking her towards the entrance to the apartment. "Or do you want to luxuriate in a bath? Just having space to yourself and sprawling out in total privacy can feel therapeutic."

"I don't want to be alone."

"You're not alone."

"And you never will be, here." Cynthia keeps up the pressure on Sana.

She's not crying, but every muscle in her body is tense, and as soon as they get to the bed she curls up in a ball and starts shivering.

"May I undress you?"

"I don't want to... oh, you meant...

Yes, you may."

She strips down to her underwear, then gently, slowly, does the same for Sana, and hugs her from one side.

Cynthia quietly grabs a thick blanket, turning up the air conditioning, before entering a pile squeezing both Sana and Sofia. The bed is slightly cramped for the three of them; she'd probably want to get one of those mats for the main room if she wanted to do this more often...

She's feeling exhausted. It was a long day of work, fun and... hopelessness.

They say Hell is the destruction of hope. It sure feels that way to think about her country now.

Cynthia is so Good and optimistic, but... they don't think gods exist, and even on her planet, a hundred years and the Good gods have done nothing, Cheliax is still in the clutches of Asmodeus.

She won't sleep well, but it could have been worse. She could have been alone.

Cynthia is on her phone, with a look of determination on her face. "Look, Maurice, they own clothing that wasn't made here. Hair samples will show contaminants that no place on thomassia would have. They come from a different world, a very dangerous world, and a miserable world full of people we need to help. Our Grand Army could easily destroy them if deployed; they have no firearms, and won't stand a chance against our modern firearms and assassination drones."

"Why don't we just open a door for him? Hard to argue with that."

Cynthia nods at Sofia. "I'll take them to you, and you'll see how real they are." She turns to the two of them. "Sana, Sofia? We're heading off to meet someone with power, who can really help you and all of Cheliax. Come with me." She quickly changes into the first thing she has available, a workout outfit with a shirt that reaches down a bit in the back, before walking over to the elevator, impatiently waiting for the two others to follow her there.

They will change back into their Chelish clothes, as quick as possible, but selecting for the ones that are more visibly foreign.

"I'm still worried that there would be more to pay than you expect. But it's your choice.

Personally I'm ready to help Hell with collecting more souls. By helping Asmodeans to reach an early afterlife."

"Well, it could be a huge amount to pay. But we're happy to give up a lot, I'm expecting." She returns again to a car waiting near the base of the building, racing through the narrow streets to the massive skyscraper towering over the others, near the center of the city. Some 30 minutes of spirited driving has them waiting at the bottom of it. Cynthia walks in, flashing a photo of the mayor's seal on her phone to the receptionist, and gets to the express elevator taking them all the way to the top.

It's less than a minute before they arrive to the very top, the height of the tower letting it see far into the distance, over the many tall buildings of the city. She knocks on the door to the mayor's office, waiting impatiently.

It's hard to stay miserable when surrounded by so much beauty. She looks out from the window, taking in the scenery, the wealth, the local magic pushing things in motion...

... is that a flying version of the mechanical carriage they were in moments ago?

Cheliax won't know what hit them. The fuckers.

She's still angry, but it's... more focused, less consuming.

"You are incredibly Good. But the more I get to know you, the less alien it feels."

Eventually, Maurice, wearing a perfectly tailored three-piece suit, opens the door. He sits down in front of his desk, looking over at Sana and Sofia and instantly realizing the severity of the situation. He puts his phone on the desk, but doesn't call anyone just yet.

"So. What's the problem? What do we have to do about it?"

After everyone has stepped into the office, Sana closes the door behind her, and opens it again to show... a different room.

The walls are festooned with red, gold and green, there is a huge bar counter of which only a small part is visible from the door. In the background the windows show exploding stars suspended in a pure black sky.

She sits down. Opening the door was easier this time, but still took effort.

Maurice blinks twice, and shakes his head. "But... but... how are we supposed to send in soldiers? Or send out people? Through that tiny door! It'll take eternity to move a meaningful amount of people through it. How can we possibly make any difference?"

"Do you have... bigger doors? Like, the door to a castle would be bigger to allow carriages in. I don't know if it will work, but it may be worth trying."