Arriving Home

His plane had touched down at the Vatican's private airstrip late in the morning without incident just as it had done so many times in the past. It was routine at this point, coming and going from that lonely stretch of concrete to deliver the words of others from one organization to the next. For several years now, it had been relatively difficult for him to even think of Vatican City as his true home considering how often he was away. Then again, that sense of disconnect went deeper that simply his travel schedule. The residents of Vatican City, primarily those of the True Cross who he mainly interacted with, were truly children of the city in body and soul. They were attached to the holy site in a profound way that he could not relate to. For all his trust in the power of Heaven and conviction in the Catholic faith, he was still an outsider among God's most fearsome disciples.

Maybe that was exactly why he was here.

While his trips from the airport to Vatican City were nothing new, his role as of today had been profoundly changed. He was no longer simply a messenger and spokesperson for the Order of the True Cross. In lieu of recent events, he had been asked to take up the mantle of the head of the Order itself. He had never been all that preoccupied with the accumulation of personal power and authority but he was also not so humble as to decline an opportunity as rare as this. Self-doubt regarding his ability to carry the burden did not factor into it. The Almighty had a plan in motion which involved him ascending to the head of the Order. There was no option but to embrace it with all his worth.

He'd begun preparations almost immediately after receiving the offer over the phone while overseas. The first order of business was to perform a general summary on the current state of the Order across the globe. High priority missions, status of the various brothers and sisters in the field, as well as the Order's financial status. At a cursory glance, the organization was stable enough but recent events within the city had drawn his particular attention. A vampire had infiltrated the city, killed a priest of the Order and badly wounded his predecessor, Father Anthony Diem. He would have to make it a point to systematically reinforce the spiritual barriers on high priority buildings throughout the city as well as modify security patrols. As sad as it was to say, it was no longer safe for clergymen, let alone the lay people, to wander the city alone at night. Beyond that, the vampire's motivation for even entering the city was a troubling mystery. Why infiltrate a museum of all places? Drawing too concrete a conclusion with only a passing summary report would require too much conjecture. He'd need direct access to the Vatican Archives themselves as well as a detailed report in order to plan a proper response.

Opening the rear door to exit the car that the Vatican had sent for him, Father Matthias Saul stoop before the headquarters of the True Cross. Though humble by the standards of Roman architecture, Matthias couldn't help but feel a greater sense of pride in the sight of the building that now fell to him to care for. He would have much to do in the coming days in order to cement his place of authority but chief among them was seeking out the man who came before him; Father Anthony Diem.

Kheda was still recovering from her own recent arrival from France. The trip left her exhausted both mentally and physically her mind still weighed down with the knowledge that her friend and comrade had been murdered along with her flock. But rather than resting in her bed to ease her weary mind she instead found herself standing outside upon the steps of True Cross headquarters. Shortly after her arrival she had been pulled aside by a few of her superiors and before she could even issue her report on her findings they had pushed her into a car telling her she was to escort the Order's new leader around until he saw fit to dismiss her.

To say she was frustrated would be a massive understatement, She was absolutely furious but sadly her exhausted state prevented her from properly venting her frustration. She hadn't even been given time to change into more fitting clothing still garbed in her combat gear. Although this might not have been a bad thing considering the recent events that had taken place around the Vatican. News of the attack at the museum had spread like wild fire throughout the ranks of True Cross. And it had shaken a fair number of it's member greatly to have been struck so close to home. She frowned as she found herself wishing that she'd opted to at least keep her sidearm on her after her arrival. But in her exhaustion and her desire to return to the orphanage as soon as possible she'd told the quarter master at the airport to simply have her things returned to the orphanage ahead of her.

Her time with her thoughts were cut short however as a car soon pulled up in front of the building that acted as the Order of the True Cross' main headquarters. Straightening her back to improve her posture she waited as a man disembarked the vehicle. She moved down the steps toward the man waiting for the man to finish taking in the sight of the building. She could vaguely recall seeing the man a few times before on rare occasion. But sadly his name seemed to escape her and her superiors had neglected to tell her that information as well in their haste to send some form of representative to greet him. So rather than attempting some ill attempted guess at the man's name Kheda simply bowed her head clasping her hands in front of her "Welcome to the Vatican sir." Kheda said simply.

Truth be told, Matthias had not expected any kind of welcoming party for his return to the Vatican. Part of that could be attributed to a lack of experience; his position as an emissary was hardly lofty enough to validate regular guards. Beyond that, Matthias confessed that he might have underestimated the organizational efficiency of the True Cross under Father Diem. While the protection of the lay people had been a priority during his predecessor's time as the head of the Order, he did not seem to be the type to micromanage smaller details such as speedy announcements. Glancing his newly arrived guard up and down, Saul made a mental note to keep that in mind when dealing with Father Diem in the future.

For now though, the dark haired woman before him was the primary concern. During his time with the True Cross, he had seen her coming and going from time to time. If memory served, bolstered by several key traits present in her demeanor, she was one of many operatives who had been raised in the orphanage currently managed by the Champion. That being said, her name escaped him at the moment.

Fully clearing the immediate area of the car, Matthias crossed the distance between himself and the woman, taking in finer details of her persona while keeping his face a blank mask of impartiality. Dull eyes indicative of high stress situations and potential emotional trauma. She was definitely a hardened field agent. Slightly darkened lines seemed to be coming in beneath those eyes. That, in conjunction with her current attire, said that she was fresh from a mission. She'd most likely be experiencing some combination of agitation and exhaustion but her professional demeanor proved that she was well trained and had a respect for Church hierarchy to a certain extent. That being said, the orphanage was notorious for promoting somewhat roguish personalities that often drifted towards lone wolf behavior. Even if there had been a visible need to exert dominion through his office, a direct display of force would ultimately be counterproductive for future interactions.

The most effective option was to bolster a relationship of trust and loyalty early on. This woman and her peers from the Orphanage block had little reason to respect and follow him at the moment. With that in mind he'd simply have to give them incentive to do so. Extending his right hand, Saul attempted to meet her gaze. "Father Matthias Saul. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." His voice was crisp and strong but devoid of any underlying emotion, whether positive or negative.

As the man approached her she made her own observations and judgments regarding the man standing opposite her. The way he carried himself was peculiar mainly in the fact that his posture just didn't seem to betray anything that she could pick out about him. Though on the other hand observing people wasn't exactly her forte it didn't matter how a person carried themselves when you were assigned to kill them. What she did notice was the blatant lack of emotion the man seemed to show in his mannerisms save for a few exceptions. It also wasn't hard to tell that he was observing her as well. When a person served in this profession this long it wasn't hard to develop a sixth sense for such things.

But none of that was immediately important at the current moment. She hadn't been ordered to make judgments or observations. She'd been instructed to make herself of use to the new leader of the Order however way she could and she intended to do just that. As the man extended his right hand and made his introductions Kheda accepted his offered hand with her own shaking it firmly. "The pleasure is mine Father Saul, I am Sister Kheda Dudaev I have instructions to escort you for the time being as well as assist you in any way I possibly can." Kheda said offering a small smile to the man. Her tone was professional but held a small measure of kindness within it, Before she'd come back she hadn't known anything about a change of leadership but she was sure that the transition wouldn't be simple considering a great many had grown used to Father Diem's leadership.

If this man was truly here to take Father Diem's place she didn't envy the task that lay ahead. Perhaps she was wrong and it would be seamless or perhaps she was right and it would be a more difficult process. Either way it was an unknown situation and being the person she was Kheda didn't like dealing with unknowns. The least she could do for this man was try to be civil he likely didn't ask to be put in command of the order and he couldn't be blamed for a decision made by another no doubt higher in the hierarchy.

She had a strong grip and a good sense for pleasantries. Compared to most of the extreme personalities that seemed to come out of the orphanage, Sister Dudaev was surprisingly normal. That smile was small, too subtle to really come across as a forced impersonation. Genuine kindness was certainly a good sign. Nodding in response to her introduction, Matthias made it a point to add her name to his memory. As soon as he was settled in his new office he could begin the process of memorizing names and faces using personnel files but it never hurt to start early.

Matthias' hands once again fell to his side and without further delay, Father Saul began walking towards the building's front entrance with purpose. "I appreciate your assistance, Sister. I won't keep you long. Please deliver a message to the Archive staff that I would like a copy of the most recent incident reports starting with the attack on the museum as well as any and all information on the stolen item."

Reaching out with his right hand, Saul grasped the cold metal of the door handle that had long since been rubbed down to a gleaming polish from years of use. While he wasn't particularly anxious to detach himself from Sister Dudaev, his glance was enough to convince him that she was in need of rest following whatever her most recent mission had involved. Wandering the streets of Vatican City was one thing, but he was rather confident that he could roam the halls of the organization's headquarters alone without fear of attack and he knew these hallways well enough to find his way to Father Diem's office on his own. With that in mind, her time would be much better served kicking off his investigation.

"Once you've done that please make sure and get some rest. Also, if you should happen to see Sister Corvis, please inform her that I need to speak with her as soon as possible."

Kheda felt relief run through her as Father Saul made it clear he wouldn't be keeping her long. The fact that he seemed to pick up on her exhaustion and kept that in consideration already raised her opinion of him some. As he moved towards the doors leading into the building she followed listening to his instructions and dedicating them to memory. "I'll have the archive staff deliver copies of the reports and all relevant information personally Father Saul." Kheda said nodding. She didn't know where the Father would be staying so for now it was the only option until proper quarters were set aside for him. And judging from the purpose he seemed to carry about him she doubted such things were at the forefront of the man's mind at the moment.

As he stopped at the door Kheda stopped as well not far behind him her eyes watching him as he seemed to take a moment for his own thoughts. Finally he spoke addressing her once more informing her that once she'd completed her task she would be free to go receive the rest she so desperately craved. Up until now it had been a secondary thought in her mind but now that the man had mentioned it Kheda could certainly feel the fatigue slowly creeping into her mind causing her eyelids to grow heavy despite her best efforts to combat it. She nodded as he requested she carry a message to Sister Corvis as well such a task would be relatively simple. Or it would have been if the Sister was present in the Vatican at the current moment.

"My apologies Father Saul but Sister Corvis is away from the Vatican on assignment at the moment..." Kheda said she had no idea when the Champion would return and once again she wouldn't waste time on both their parts in trying to make an assumption of when she would return. "But I will inform her the moment she returns to pay you a visit." Kheda said nodding once in affirmation of her own words. Upon saying this she took a step back clasping her hands in front of her once more and bowing her head in respect to who she could only assume would be her new commanding officer.

"If you have need of anything please don't hesitate to contact me or anyone else available, I hope we are able to make your transition into leadership a smooth one." Kheda said before giving the Father one last smile before moving past him to open the other side of the double doors leading into the building and swiftly dissapearing down one of the halls to go complete the task she'd been given. After that she would try to enjoy a long uninterrupted rest in one of the small dorm like rooms headquarters kept as temporary quarters for operatives or staff who did not feel like making the trip back to their respective residences.

----> Exit

Making his way down the hallway that would inevitably lead him to his new office, Matthias absentmindedly flexed his hands to relieve the tell tale pressure of sore finger joints reared up once again. His gloves worked well to ease the general soreness but part of keeping himself comfortable and healthy involved regular grip exercises. Exercises which he had unfortunately failed to complete in the last day or so in light of the sudden announcement of his new position and responsibilities. In the grand scheme though, a few aches and pains here and there were nothing to take notice of compared to extensive game of catch up he would be playing for the next week or so.

The news that Sister Corvis had not yet returned to the Vatican came as a bit of a shock. According to the files he had reviewed prior to his arrival she had received a rather run of the mill assignment investigating a potential case of lycanthropy. If the Champion was running behind schedule then something considerably out of the norm must have occurred. That being said, it was not enough of a delay to prompt any outward sign of surprise from the new head of the True Cross and certainly not enough to validate sending any additional operatives to investigate. Not yet anyway.

"I see. Thank you for all your help, Sister Dudaev," he said with a nod of his head before rounding the corner to part ways with the monster hunter and continue on to the office.

==>Exit