Vatican Archives

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Utilizing the lengthy elevator ride into the depths of the Vatican Underground, the exhausted Champion took it as a much needed instance of rest. The injuries and exhaustion that she had been subject to from the disastrous conflict in Paris, the majority of which would likely have been avoided if proper information had been given on the assignment, still held their influence of the Catholic's body. The condition she was currently in seemed far better than it looked, as most of the bleeding that had previously accompanied it had stopped quite some time ago due to the efforts of the medical teams that she surrendered herself too upon returning. The headaches had even began to fade, but these short bouts of peace were periodically disrupted by the sporadic return of the unbearable pulsing, as if striking back with a vengeance, hellbent on splitting her skull in two.  

Time for rest was a luxury beyond her reach, however, as there were things she needed to know. The abhorrent abomination that she had confronted in Paris was far beyond the realms of the typical creatures that she had dealt with. It was not beyond what the True Cross dealt with, but such things of that size and scope were extremely rare. The fact that a vampire had lived long enough to acquire such power was ridiculously astonishing. Where and how had it hidden for so long, to the point of being undetected, safe from the eyes of the Church and her Agents of Divine Punishment who sought it's extinction? It was worrisome, at the very least, to think such a place of anonymity existed for the wretched fiends to hide themselves existed.

Veronica despised the possibility. Supernatural activity had been increasing over the past few months, and with the arrival of such an abysmal entity that she had slain in Paris, it only served to add more fuel to the fire. How many more were still lurking the shadows? How many more had transcended the evolutionary ladder in which they were confined? How many more had reached it's height to become aberration of nature? All of this was unknown to her, and she refused to leave it that way. During the battle, before she cut the detestable beast in twain with a full-body spear of meteoric proportions and obliterated it into naught but ash, she had taken an interesting note from the dialogue she had exchanged with it.

That's what she was here to research.

The arrival of the elevator at it's destination brought for feelings of discomfort, as her modicum of rest had been brought to an end with the opening of the metal doors to bring into view the occupied checkpoint. Gritting her teeth slightly to suppress a grunt of pain that coursed through her from her aching body, which protested the action to the fullest of it's ability, she exited the metal box to go through the required screening. Any and all weaponry she had typically carried on her had been left behind in the training facility, so disarming was not required of her. Upon completing the screening, which was done by traversing both a metal detector and an x-ray scanner, she was greeted by one of the several clerical librarians assigned to oversee the articles within the Archives, a young female dressed in a typical Habit.

"H-hello, S-sister Corvis..." She began, her gaze drifting slightly to the side. It was obvious she was rather intimidated by the battered appearance Veronica currently had, but it's not like the Champion could blame her. The youngling wasn't a True Cross Agent, nor would she become one, so it was likely that she had never witnessed any situation that likely put her in the same condition, nor would she. "I-I'll be your escort for the duration of your stay. Is there anything in particular that you'd like me to search for..?"

Doing her best to not try and take away what little comfort the girl still had, Veronica allowed a weary smile to cross her lips before responding. Veronica knew about bits and pieces about what she wanted to look into because of her own research into the occult and how to combat it, but it was likely that her knowledge only scratched the surface of the actual subject so the Archives were needed. It was the only place she could access that would likely have that kind of information. "I'm trying find some files on a rather important topic that's closely related to Zoroastrianism. Do we have any files on something called "Angra Mainyu"? It doesn't really matter what the files contain, so long as it at least mentions what I'm looking into. Anything you have will be extremely helpful and I'd greatly appreciate it."

Stammering slightly, the younger Nun replied with a bit of uncertainty in her voice. Not because of the fact that such knowledge was not within the Archives, it most certainly was, but because the topic itself, as with many other subjects related to non-Catholic sources, was extremely unnerving to most within the Church due to indoctrination and fear that had been placed inside them from a young age. "Y-yes. I b-believe we have a few articles relating to such a thing.. P-please, follow me." She bowed lightly and turned away, venturing into the depths of the Archives with Veronica in tow.

Navigating the maze of shelves and esoteric volumes of written knowledge was something very few people were used to, but luckily Veronica had gotten over the sense of trepidation felt by the overwhelming appearance of the knowledge contained within this place at a young age, mostly because of her own research had driven her to study here countless times, so she was able to keep pace with the younger Nun without issue. Eventually the two of them arrived as a small clearing, large enough for six tables, situated in rows of three with chairs to complete the set. It acted as a sort of waiting area for those who had the librarians do their searching for them, and if Veronica had been in any condition to do so, she would wander the halls of knowledge on her own. However, her injuries cried out for rest, as did her feet, so she regrettably let the younger Nun to wander by her lonesome after taking a seat at one of the tables, which gave birth to a sigh of relief.

She would wait until the Nun returned with whatever she could find. Depending on the results, she'd likely be here for several hours in order to review all the information.

Enter from limbo ---->

Kheda after a substantial wait had finally managed to call the elevator up from the bottom floor where the archives sat and entered it pressing the button to begin her descent. It was somewhat of a weekly ritual for her to come to the archives at least once and spend her afternoon there. Every week for the past year Kheda would come to the archives and read the journals of True Cross hunters of old. More specifically that of archers like herself. For the past 10 years since her induction into the ranks of True Cross the practicality of her use of a bow had been called into question multiple times throughout her career. Even now after 10 years of dedicated and effective service she was not exempt from the questioning eyes of her fellows.

But Kheda more or less brushed off their doubts she knew what she was capable of in the end and she knew more than a few of her doubters knew what she was capable of as well. But nevertheless Kheda found herself interested in how others had accomplished what she had in the past. When technology was in it's most primitive and resources limited. What she'd found interested her, in the past there had been hundreds of archers recruited within the ranks of True Crosses all of them with their own stories to tell. But sadly a good deal of the journals she'd read had ended much too soon for the writers life to have ended of natural causes. Some of the journals she'd read had even had dried blood upon the cover or smeared across the pages a clear indication of the writer's fate.

As the doors of the elevator opened once the elevator reached the bottom Kheda stepped out and approached the checkpoint that she'd passed through numerous times. She'd come through so often she knew quite a few of the guards by name and no doubt they knew her just as well. As she approached the checkpoint one of the guards manning the checkpoint raised a hand in greeting and also as a signal for her to stop once she'd come close enough. The weapon in the man's other hand was not raised however as he gestured Kheda to step through a metal detector and after that an x-ray machine. Adhering to the guards instructions Kheda did as she was told stepping through.

Kheda had left her weapons back in her quarters for obvious reasons. As Kheda came out on the other side of the x-ray machine she was halted once more as a guard stepped forward gesturing her to spread her arms. The man shot Kheda an apologetic look as she did as indicated the man performed a through search before taking a step back and nodding. "Protocol ma'am." He said before moving to the side to allow her to pass. Kheda gave the man a small smile and proceeded forward as she entered the archives she was greeted as was custom by one of the librarians of the archives. Her librarian was young woman as well but unlike Veronica's escort this one was all smiles brimming with confidence and positivity.

"Good evening Sister Dudaev would you like to browse by yourself today or would you like to see what I've selected for you?" The young woman asked. Kheda placed a finger to her chin in thought for a moment her other arm crossed beneath her chest. "I'm not much in the mood for wandering today I'll just read what you picked out." Kheda said nodding. The young woman nodded "Follow me to the study area and I'll go get your reading material." The young sister said before turning on her heel and leading the way deeper into the archives. After navigating through a labyrinth of bookshelves and filing cabinets they finally arrived at the study area a small isolated area with a few tables and chairs for those who had come to peruse the contents of the archives.

"Take a seat and I'll be right back." The librarian said before taking her leave into the maze of bookshelves. Kheda nodded before turning to the only other occupant of the study area. Upon closer examination she recognized the woman seated at one of the tables as Veronica Corvis one of the sisters who had worked at the orphanage when she was child and also the proclaimed Champion of True Cross. Kheda walked over to the table that Veronica was seated at and tapped her fingers on the desk. "Evening Sister Corvis." Kheda said offering the older woman a small smile. "Would you perhaps like some company?" Kheda asked.

The moment of rest was something her body greatly appreciated, and had she lost all the discipline that had been instilled in her throughout the years, she may have just passed out on the spot. That outcome was denied, however, as her drive to further examine and possibly understand the new evolutionary stages that could possibly be arriving due to the recent increase in supernatural activity had allowed her keep focus and ward off the natural demands that her body had called out for - despite how detrimental they would likely become at a later date.

Again, sleep would be revoked in favor of duty.

Hunched in her chair in the subtlest of manners, the fatigue of which plagued her being the result in the uncommon display in posture, Corvis took the moment to relax as much as she could allow herself too and allowed her mind to dwell on the previous encounter that occurred in Paris. Granted, the bout of dialogue that the monstrosity had used to call upon the favor of her own pagan god was, in all likelihood, simply a display of mockery towards Corvis's own prayer, it caught her attention due to the truth that it could possibly hold.

The existence of other Gods was not a foreign idea to her, nor was it something absurd to believe in the correct context. The form that the Paris Vampire had taken could have very well been bestowed upon her by the very god she had invoked. If such a thing was true; if the supernatural creatures that the Church had been extinguishing since ancient times had finally began to call upon other gods to increase their abysmal powers, then knowledge would be the best weapon the True Cross could possess.

That was her goal here.

Nonetheless, due to how long it was taking the librarian to obtain the requested documents, it was likely the Church had a plethora of information on Zoroastrianism and the topic within that the Champion was interested in. If there was one single thing the church excelled at, it was there ability to keep records dating back to even before the church itself was actually established. It was an advantage that the True Cross held over other, lesser Organizations that played at being hunters of the supernatural; amateurs mimicking the professionals.

However, the thoughts that lingered within the Nun's mind were interrupted with the arrival of a fellow True Cross operative. It was a rare thing for anyone outside of those specializing in the spiritual aspects to waste time within the archives, though she had come to realize that Sister Kheda was one of the rare exceptions. "Company can do me some good, I suppose." She said, waving her hand towards one of the many chairs. "Please, be my guest."

With Veronica's permission to join her Kheda took a seat across from the older nun folding her arms on the tabletop. She took a few seconds to take a closer observation of the woman sitting across from her and it wasn't very difficult to see that fatigue was indeed taking it's toll on her. The bandages shrouding a portion of the nun's face from view must have had a hand in Veronica's current condition. "It looks like you should be resting instead of studying Sister Corvis." Kheda said her lips turned downward in a concerned frown. She understood dedication to the True Cross cause but even she would at least take a few days to recover before exerting herself. Especially after receiving an injury like the one she could see on Veronica's face.

She opened her mouth to voice her concerns further but before anything more could be said her escort returned with her arms full with 6 leather bound journals and a collection of notes kept inside of a clear plastic box. "I've selected 6 journals belonging to some of the most famed archers in the True Cross' past though It saddens me to say they are all a bit short Sister Dudaev." The young woman said placing the journals infront of Kheda. Immediately Kheda could see what the young woman meant five out of the six journals had dried blood on the cover and from what she could see even more upon it's somewhat ripped pages. One of them even had deep gouges from what seemed to be claws no doubt from some sort of beast.

The young woman placed the box beside the journals "This is the doctrine written by one of the True Cross' oldest members for archers of the order, Perhaps you'll find something interesting within it's texts." The sister said smiling at Kheda. Taking one last glance at the nun sitting across the table Kheda decided to drop the subject of Veronica's injuries the woman was way more experienced than her when it came to hunting if she believed she could handle the strain Kheda wasn't one to question her. "Thank you very much I'll make sure to take utmost care of these." Kheda said to the librarian. The librarian nodded "I won't be far please call if you require my assistance." The sister said before turning on her heel and walking back into the maze of texts and tomes.

Kheda opened one of the journals frowning as she slowly and delicately unstuck a few pages spotted with blood. The journal belonged to a member of the True Cross during the 100 Years War a time when vampires thrived in the bloodshed that ravaged the European continent for a century. The member who wrote the journal was an archer by the name of Madeleine De Aquitaine an archer like Kheda herself. Kheda spared one more glance at Veronica before delving into the experiences and stories that Madeleine had to tell. As Kheda read she spoke as well "Something important must have happened on your last mission if your here instead of resting Sister Corvis." Kheda said as her eyes scanned the pages of Madeleine's journal.

"There is no rest for the wicked, and thus no rest for the righteous." The nun responded, resting her forehead in her palm to brace for the coming surge of pulsating irritation that she felt was on the verge of resurfacing. The words held some truth to them; the very fact that such an abhorrent creature like the one in Paris was evidence of it. The wicked creatures of the night had begun to trespass into the realms of the darker, more forsaken gods in order to transcend their typical limitations. It was likely due to the True Cross's overconfidence and seemingly inefficient information network that allowed their enemies to obtain such heights, the latter of which causing her the wounds she now displayed.

Glancing at her company from between her tensed fingers, the palm of which obscured a grimace of noticeable pain, she took note of the articles that had been brought forth from another one of the librarians as reading material for the fellow Paladin. The fact that Kheda had received much doubt for her use of a bow was common knowledge, especially to Corvis, as her own use of unconventional weaponry, those being crucifixion stakes, also gave birth to some skepticism before her use of them proved efficient. However, the archers skills were apparent, just as the skills of all members who were recruited were, so she had little idea as to where the uncertainty continued to come from.

Inhaling as a means to help cope with the pain, her hand finally lowered to the tabletop. "Important would be an understatement... Regardless, the problem can't be solved until I properly research it." She gave a dismissive wave of her hand, as subtle as it may have seemed, before allowing her gaze to fall toward the diary Kheda had been reading. "I see you're still rummaging about old histories..."

Kheda's words were true enough, at least in some regard, but they held little relevance given the circumstances. Granted, expending the natural energy reserves in the body was a fine way to be put in an early grave in the line of work she spearheaded, but she had come to learn that fatigue was something that could be held off given enough discipline and effort. Proof of this was the fact that Veronica hadn't yet allowed herself to be consumed by the necessary requirements of rest that her body had been demanding since her return from the disturbing encounter in Paris.

Exhaling, Corvis leaned back in her chair to find a more comfortable position for her aching form before responding. "The wicked require no rest for they are driven by a madness that only God can understand. However, while you and the others may take such knowledge in stride and be commanded by your body's own needs, I cannot bring myself to succumb to fatigue until I have satisfied my own desires of understanding the very abominations that we are tasked with exterminating." She paused for a moment, a twitch on her visible eye signalling that she was still trying to suppress the throbbing, pulsating headache which was attempting to split her skull in half.

"This organization has been at war with the creatures of the night since ancient times, even before the official founding of the Church, and we have not allowed ourselves to fall into a state of stagnation since, until recently... The lackluster effort of our intelligence division is the reason why I'm in this condition. So, in response, I will not allow myself even a modicum of repose, even on an individual level. The wicked do not rest, and thus those assigned to combat it should not be allowed that luxury."

She concluded by placing a hand over the bandages of her right eye, clenching the fingers around it so as to try and force the throbbing in her head to subside. Taking a moment to gather herself, she once again turned the gaze of her good eye towards the journal that Kheda held. "Admittedly, those who do know know the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them, but such knowledge can only take you so far..."

Kheda felt like a child being scolded as Veronica spoke her piece about the current state of affairs in True Crosses' eternal mission of hunting the supernatural. Had they really grown so complacent in these recent years. Her eyes were drawn to the bandages covering the older nun's face. She couldn't imagine what could have been powerful enough to cause such wounds to the True Cross Champion. The wound seemed superficial but in all of Kheda's years in True Cross she'd never once seen Veronica get so horribly injured in combat, And she'd never known Veronica to be careless so it must have been something quite dangerous.

Kheda sighed In the recent months she'd ceased taking field missions focusing more on her work helping raise children in the orphanage. But from appearances it seemed that things were taking a turn for the worse in the global state of supernatural activity. Kheda sighed once more before deciding to make a change in subject. "So how is motherhood treating you Sister Corvis?" Kheda asked. It was no secret that perhaps more than a year ago Sister Corvis had adopted an orphan off the streets of Rome.

From what she'd seen of the girl in her time at the orphanage the girl was quite a troublemaker. But no less than a month ago the girl had been inducted into True Cross. Initially she'd hoped that the girl would learn some discipline from her training and she was now curious to hear how the girl was performing.

Sadly, it took a moment for the question to even register through the constant festering of her wounds, despite the fact that any threat they had once posed to her had all but disappeared with the recent medical attention she had undergone. It was a stunning realization, at least to Corvis, that it didn't immediately register, that she didn't respond to it sooner, but with the recent events that had transpired had left her so mentally drained to the point of focusing being an almost impossible task.

Additionally, the recent incident with her daughter had also played a role in her hesitant answer. The child's ignorance and instability had reached a boiling point, but never to such an extent that striking her had ever crossed Corvis' mind. Yet, not an hour ago, she did just that. She struck Ada across the face. It was something she regretted doing, and in all honesty, though perhaps wrongfully, she had placed the blame on the mental and physical fatigue that currently held onto her body.

"Motherhood..." Corvis mumbled, casting a discouraged glance off to the side at the shelves. "I'm... not sure how to answer that... Let's just say things have gotten precarious... I'd rather not dwell on the subject if I can avoid it. Not at the moment, at least. I have other things to focus on." The last words seemed almost forced, the meaning behind them depicted as empty and hollow by her tone.

In fact, she immediately regretted speaking them, but remained silent for a long while afterwards, finally taking a moment to actually reflect on what had transpired within the training complex. It invoked a cafard expression on her features, the way she had decided to deal with Ada's rebellious and childish acts. She sighed, lowering her head face-down into her now crossed arms which were lain upon the tables surface.

"Honestly, that child will be the death of me..."

Veronica's response was not exactly what Kheda had been expecting. It seemed that the question itself seemed to bring upon a whole new wave of fatigue upon the older nun as if an invisible pressure had been dropped onto her. Kheda bit her lip trying to decide if it would be wise to pursue the subject further. And after a brief inner discussion with herself she sighed crossing her arms upon the top of the table and leaning forward in her seat. She could hear the hollowness in Veronica's attempts to avoid the subject but unfortunately for the older nun Kheda wasn't one to let such topics just fade into the background. Something significant had occurred and it was taking it's toll upon the older woman.

"Are you sure you don't wish to talk about it? I've dealt with my fair share of children as well maybe I can help." Kheda said trying to extend her support to Veronica. Her lips turned down into a small frown as she heard Sister Corvis' muffled words regarding her daughter. "Surely it can't have been that bad could it?" Kheda asked prodding for more information. For now her journals lay forgotten still stacked in a neat pile beside her in favor of a more interesting and in Kheda's mind "important." Topic.

If Veronica had the ability, she might have playfully laughed at the helpful offer, but engaging in such boisterous activity would likely cause her wounds to act up and inflict even more pain than she was currently in, so she refrained. Instead, she chose to remain in her current position with her face still hidden within the confines of her crossed arms, the thoughts within her weary mind darting back to all that had previously occurred upon her return from defeating the Edlrich Abomination that had ravaged the streets of France, analyzing them with as much clarity and focus as she could bring herself to gather.

This time, she had began to review the incidents far more carefully, and the feeling of guilt and sadness only grew as a result despite how logical it seemed. Striking Ada across the face might have been seen by others as a much needed wake up call to those who witnessed it. She was no longer a child after all, she was a young adult who retained her childish mannerisms and utter lack of responsibility, but the remembrance of the act still caused a void of regret to swallow the older Nun.

Veronica couldn't help but feel it was a step too far; too extreme of a measure to bring the girl into the harsh reality she had willingly agreed to become apart of. Perhaps it was the fact that Corvis regretted taking away the innocence of an otherwise untainted individual, which was the reason why Corvis herself was rarely a teacher to those within True Cross. She could introduce them into the world of the supernatural, but she would not train them to combat it. The other instructors were here for that purpose.

In a way, it may have been a mistake for her to take the only adoptive daughter she had under her own wing, instead of handing her off to the other instructors like she normally did to those she felt met the qualifications of the organization. A selfish and otherwise irresponsible mindset, she figured, as it was cruel of her to drag those she deemed ready into such a lifestyle and then abandon them, leaving them only with those they were unfamiliar with. Then again, Ada was the only exception she had made to that rule, and look how it had all turned out...

The point still remained, however, that she may have been to brash in dishing out such a cruel punishment on the unsuspecting teenager..

The Nun shifted her head slightly, tilting it to allow her unmaimed eye to peak out over the crook of her elbow with it's hint of sadness reflecting in the amber color, staring into the vast expanses of bookshelves around her as she contemplated a response. "Talking about it now, I fear, would only inflict more strife on those involved... It wont change what has happened, and it can only be rectified between the two parties who were involved. I cannot do that, however, until I've finished my investigations here. Thank you for your concern, but it's unneeded... "

Kheda locked eyes with the older nun for a moment as if attempting to will Veronica to speak with her eyes alone. Though this was met with no success whatsoever as the older woman merely dismissed her attempts to get her to speak with more words regarding her current task. Kheda let out a sigh and slumped a bit in her chair. Her journals lay unused nearby as she kept her eyes locked with Veronica's for a moment more. "I see...Well I suppose if that's the only way for the two of you to make amends perhaps I should help you." Kheda said shaking her head.

"Two minds are after all better than one yes?" Kheda said smiling. It was perhaps a foolish desire maybe it due to her own ruined childhood but Kheda genuinely wanted to help mend the rift that had been created between Veronica and her daughter. That and it seemed that any more exertion either physically or mentally would only serve to exacerbate Veronica's condition further. "What are you doing research on if I may ask?" Kheda asked.

Truthfully speaking, if the Champion of the Cross were to be brutally honest with herself, the desire to locate the teenager and attempt to rectify the events that had transpired between them was almost unbearable. The more the exhausted mind of the older nun dwelled on the precarious situation, the more regret built within to the point of rivaling and even surpassing the physical pain that still, with an unrelenting grip, clung to Corvis' fatigued body, to the point of numbing the sting until it was nothing but a subtle throb that barely obtained notice from her weary conscience.

The concern that Kheda was showing had been appreciated, it truly was, but she had already decided that the topic would not progress beyond the point of what it had already reached. She was not part of what had happened, and while Corvis was sure the Archers intentions were pure enough, Veronica made it adamantly clear with the reluctance she had shown about continuing, that she had no business getting involved in the private affairs of others. Especially those that could be classified as family matters.

Shifting slightly in the slumped, hunched over posture she had sank into, the visage of her face once again becoming completely hidden within the confines of her crossed arms as the gaze of her melancholy eye returned to the darkness, Corvis let out a pain-filled, sorrow-laden  sigh before responding, choosing to bypass the Archers previous inquires entirely and address her most recent one with hopes of dropping the previous topic altogether.

"The creature I fought in France. It was a vampire the likes I've never seen. In fact, I doubt it was a vampire at all... It's form was that of an ordinary Nosferatu, but it was enclosed within a towering mass of tenebrous vines that harkened to it's every command." She shifted in her seat as she recalled the account, pushing any thoughts about the recent incident within the training facility to the back of her mind as she turned the bandaged mass that was her head to the right, once again glancing into the bookshelves.

"The only explanation for the power it possessed, that I can produce, was that it was a rarity even among it's own abysmal race. Well beyond that of any of the more common pests we typically sentence to death. A category B? No, Category A... A Category A on the verge of transcending even higher, and one who had dabbled in dark arts to obtain it's hideous appearance and abilities." She paused a moment, forcefully lifting the numbed mass that was her sore body into a proper seated position, using her arms as a means of support.

"That is what I am investigating... During our resulting clash, it invoked the name of something it dared put on the same level as our God. Angra Mainyu, an original conception of Zoroaster's that I recognize from my studies when I was but a novice. I paid little attention to it, however, just enough to memorize it's namesake, as it held little relevance at the time. I believe there is some connection between it and the abnormalities that the creature displayed." A sigh escaped once again as her head fell into the support of her right hand, which was balancing upon the tables surface via the right elbow.

Despite the details, Corvis refrained from mentioning the folly of the True Cross Intelligence Branch, as they were partially the reason for the physical state she was currently in. No one had told her such a creature would be the target, nor had there been any mention of the previous two vampires who were also at the scene. In a way, it reminded her of an unholy congregation by the unusual numbers that had been amassed in such a small location, despite the fact that, to Corvis, none of them had seemed to be allies.

"Supernatural activity has been increasing on a worldwide scale. If we cannot keep pace with these occurrences, with the possibilities that more of those... things could be out there, then the duty that we as True Cross have will be nothing but words. We have to keep ourselves ready, that is why I am here. These archives contain some of the most ancient documents in the world, a good portion of them relating to various occult knowledge and information on other religions. It's my understanding that at least one of them is bound to have the information I'm looking for."

It had only just now occurred to Corvis that the assistant she had asked to retrieve those very documents had yet to return. A mixed volume of feelings arose with this realization, as it could mean one of two things. Either there were several documents with the requested information, and it taking time to collect them all, or there were so few that it was extremely hard to locate. The latter was more likely to Corvis, as anything with remote significance to the Dark Arts were buried within the deepest confines of the vault.

She could only hope that, whatever was brought out to her, had useful information.

Kheda frowned as Sister Corvis described what she had encountered in France. Had the global situation of paranormal affairs really gotten so bad in this day and age. She remembered a time when such creatures would hide or run in fear of provoking the True Crosses wrath but now from what she had heard from Sister Corvis it seemed that they were openly goading the organization to act and with ample strength to back up their provocations as well. Part of her was trying to find an answer to how such creatures could have gained such strength without the organization's knowledge. Had their watch over the world really gotten so lax that these creatures were able to ascend to these heights of power in the middle of one of the most crowded cities in the world.

The younger nun shivered thinking about what could have occurred if Sister Corvis had no intervened when she did. To a category A vampire Paris was likely an all you can eat buffet and an endless supply of revenants with which to build an army. If it had gotten to that stage all attempts at keeping the existence of the supernatural a secret would be useless. Taking a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves she looked toward Veronica as she voiced some of the specifics about the creatures. The most particular thing of note being the name Angra Mainyu It wasn't a name she was familiar with though that could easily be attributed to the fact that Kheda rarely did proper research on the backgrounds of her targets often preferring to kill her foes and allow them to merely fade into distant memory.

"Angra Mainyu...I'm not familiar with that name...But to provide such strength to a monster just by invoking it's name...Do you think this sudden rise in power among the supernatural is natural? Or did it happen recently?" Kheda asked. She certainly hoped that Veronica would answer with the former the thought of the True Crosses foes gaining such strength in mere days was frightening thought. It would not impede Kheda from carrying out her duty in hunting such creatures but she did fear that with monsters of such power roaming the earth it would not be long before her own testament was added to the archive for future generations to read.

"I do not know for certain or not if it had achieved that strength by invoking the name," Veronica corrected, finally realizing the folly in the explanation that she had committed, to which she could only blame the fatigue that currently clung to the mass of flesh that was her aching body. In all likelihood, that beast was several hundred years old on it's own, and it was clear that it possessed the powers that it had displayed long before I had ever arrived. It merely retorted with that name in response to my evoking of God's, and as a result, I merely connected Angra Mainyu's name to the creatures abilities through deductive reasoning."

Corvis pulled the heavy mass of the tired arms she was using as support from the table, crossing them across her chest as she sat back in the chair. "It's a very slim connection, even for someone like me to have much faith in, but I'd rather research it and put my mind at ease, at the very least." A slender index finger rose to rest against the nun's chin, signaling Corvis' diving into a deeper plain of thought on the subject in order to answer the archer's question. "I cannot say. There are many creatures that prefer to hide in the shadows in order to grow stronger without being interrupted, partially due to this organization making it's mark on the supernatural world for centuries. Typical creatures, supernatural or otherwise, have learned to stay under our radar..."

The finger fell from it's perch as the used arm once again fell atop it's twin to cross the nuns chest. "We have yet to encounter any other beasts' that have been similar to the one I've recently slayed in France, but that means very little when it comes to determining what's hiding in the shadows. However, it is the natural evolution of a vampire to become so powerful, but it has been many centuries since one actually managed to climb so high upon it's evolutionary chain without being obliterated by us beforehand. I can only say that our organization must be more diligent in it's search... We cannot allow another one of those things to appear."

Kheda listened intently to Veronica's revised explanation regarding her thoughts on the name the creature had invoked in response to Veronica's own evoking of god's name. "Well it's most definitely not something to overlook for sure." Kheda said as she directed her eyes toward the wooden surface of the table as she took the time to think on what Veronica had told her. Kheda had never though that she would dread the day when these creatures ceased to surface in society. For the longest time during the days when she would take assignment after assignment she would wish nothing more than for these monsters to stay hidden in their lairs in the darkest corners of the world.

But now with the knowledge that these things would only draw strength from biding their time the idea of these creatures hiding themselves disturbed her. Kheda in her own right way an effective hunter silent and quick on her feet but these skills only got her so far when it came to hunting her quarry. She'd never hunted anything at the level of what Veronica had described and to be honest Kheda didn't much desire to find out what hunting such prey would be like. To face a creature that possessed such power surely would be a daunting task for any hunter.

Kheda lifted her gaze to meet Veronica's as she continued to explain her thoughts on the situation it was true that over the years there had been a few creatures that needed to be flushed out of hiding before they could be properly disposed of. Mainly in due part to the True Cross organizations rising involvement in the affairs of the supernatural across the globe. But never had she heard of a creature of such power before. Had this creature really been around so long that it had time to harness that much strength? Or had this unknown deity that it had invoked the name of grant it some form of boon in exchange for it's faith in it's name. It was a troubling thought all the same even if it had not been the name the fact that such creatures existed was a frightening thought in itself.

Kheda crossed her arms "The intelligence division must be getting lax in their duties..." Kheda muttered shaking her head. Sadly however only part of the blame could be passed off onto their comrades. "If things continue to progress like this...I think we may have dark times ahead of us in the future..." Kheda said.

"Agreed," Corvis concurred, nodding slightly to avoid any further sparks of agonizing pain that would have undoubtedly set her body ablaze if any sudden, reckless movement had been taken. The recent incident that occurred in France was one of great interest and in need of urgent attention, and required a thorough investigation when analyzing everything that had taken place. The exhausted mind of Veronica, however, hardly seemed up to the task of the prolonged research in which she was about to submerge herself. However, irregardless of how she currently felt, it was a task that had to be carried out, and seeing as how she was the only witness with access to a means that would allow it, in addition to being one of the highest qualified experts in the field related to the incident, it fell to her to do it.

It was only then that, inspite of the exhaustion that plagued her, she finally noticed the nun that was assigned as an escort to her rounding the corner of one of the large bookshelves. She was carrying a swaying stack of esoteric documents, files, and books reaching to the woman's small chin in an uneven pile, supported only by the thin arms which ran underneath them all. The amount of documents that were there surprised Veronica, as she had thought there would be little in regards to something as obscure as Angra Mainyu, but she could not and did not complain as they were sat upon the tabletop with an exhausted sigh from the younger nun. The amount only gave a higher chance to uncover what she wished to learn, and in fact, she was thankful for it.

"My thanks, Sister. I hope this wasn't as much trouble as it looked?" Corvis asked, mustering the strength for a a playful smirk to appear on the weary features of her bloody, bandaged face. The younger nun paused a moment, then quickly shook her head, stammering slightly to proclaim that it was no trouble at all before quickly taking a seat at one of the unoccupied tables. Focusing her attention now on the pile, she would begin to remove the various documents from the stack and spread them about the tables surface. "It's been nice chatting with you, Sister Dubaev, but now it's time for my work to begin. I have little doubt that you wish to return to your own reading, as well. So let's part here, alright?"

Corvis gave a cursory smile towards the archer before flipping open one of the many documents, beginning the tedious task of researching the topic at hand.

Kheda opened her mouth to speak more on the subject but stopped short as she too noticed the small nun struggling with the pile of documents that seemed to engulf her in their volume. Kheda felt a small smile spread across her lips at the slightly comical scene. The small woman's nervousness when interacting with Veronica only added fuel to the fires of amusement that Kheda felt from watching the scene. After watching for a moment more Kheda turned her attention back to the journals that had laid forgotten for quite some time on the table beside her. She placed her hand atop one sliding it across the table to sit in front of her and began to peruse it's text.

As Veronica spoke Kheda gave the older woman a smile of her own "Always a pleasure speaking to you Sister Corvis." Kheda said as she flipped to another page in the journal she was currently reading from. "I'm sure the archivists would be cross with me if I spent my time chatting rather than reading after all." Kheda added just loud enough for herself and perhaps Veronica to hear. It wasn't exactly a lie either she'd caught small glances of her own escort lurking around the shelves of the archive sneaking peeks at Kheda to see if she was making good use of the documents she'd collected for her. Kheda slowly allowed herself to become absorbed with her own reading material leaving Sister Corvis to her research.

Spoiler:

How long had she forced her aching body to continue beyond it's limits, to continue it's operational function of sorting out the various text that were strewn out upon the table before her into unsteady stacks of those that were read and unread? How many hours had her tired mind been commanded to focus through sheer willpower, to retain a visual clarity suitable for understanding and assimilating the knowledge within those texts? How long, was the inquiry of her exhausted mental capacity, had it been since the incident in France?

She had not slept, she had not eaten or drank, nor had she allowed even the briefest moment of stagnation to befall the functions of her body since the esoteric documents were delivered to her. She couldn't tell for how long she had been immersed in the study, absorbing every line of text, every diagram shown, nor did she even wish to find out. However, irregardless of how many potential hours had passed, Corvis had finally closed shut the last of the books that had been given to her and placed it down with exhausted finality.

It was time, finally, to rest. It was time to indulge the demands that the weary body so demanded and sleep. She had pushed away from the table, barely able to stand upon trembling legs or support herself with aching arms. She steadied herself as best she could and gave a nod to the younger nun at the other table, signalling that she had finished with the stack and they could be returned to their shelves, though when the younger nun arrived to do just that, Corvis made it clear that they were to be kept readily accessible should more need be required of them.

It was done, for now, and it was time to fall into the comforting embrace of sleep. Leaving the archives, giving the smallest of waves towards Kheda in the process, Corvis would return to her quarters at the orphanage to recuperate.

Exit ----> Veronica's Room (limbo)