Chapter 5 : Sanctuary VII

The same thing happened the next day with Sirius waiting for Eliza but she still didn't show, he had almost given up all hope of seeing her when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He put up his head expecting to see Eliza but was greeted by a younger face, a young girl stood in front of him, she seemed to be around his age with a calm demeanor.

"What do you want??... If it's the swing, I'm not getting off of it so go find your own."

Sirius asks in a rude manner.

"Not the swing, I was going to ask if you wanted to play with me. I'm new here and I don't really have any friends yet. My name is Aria…"

Aria replies with a smile.

[ FLASHBACK ENDS ]

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{Back to the present}

Sirius is awoken from his nap from a tap to his shoulder, he grabs a hold of the hand and turns to see that it was Aria that had woken him up.

"What happened??"

Sirius asks weakly.

"We are at HQ, apparently the Pope wants to see us."

Aria replies.

"Oh is that so?"

Sirius say as he rubs his eyes with the back of his palm.

"Yeah, you seemed to have been lost in thought for a bit, wanna talk about it later on??"

Aria asks placing her arm on Sirius's shoulder.

"No I'm fine, don't worry about it. I'll be fine, hopefully."

Sirius replies.

"Alright, I'll be here if you need to talk."

Aria remarks in an assuring manner.

"Yeah I know, thanks."

Sirius replies, managing a smile.

"Why are you thanking me??"

Aria asks with a pout.

"Because you are always there and have always been there, I'm sorry if I'm overreacting over what happened with Eliza.

I know deep in my heart that she's fine wherever she is but I just can't let go of the way I feel currently."

Sirius remarks putting his head down.

"You don't have to apologize. Eliza is the closest person you have that you can call family, I would act the same way if anything happened to you and you don't have to worry, Eliza is the strongest amongst us. Wherever she is, I'm sure she's kicking butt."

Aria remarks in a reassuring tone.

Sirius and Aria chat for a little while longer but their conversation is cut short as their vehicle comes to a halt and the driver announces that they had reached the Papal office.

Sirius and Ariana come down with other apostles following suit as they all gathered at the front of the Papal office to be greeted by a group of priests with Kirei standing at the helm of the priestly gathering.

Elisha walks up in front of the other apostles towards Kirei with both men meeting at the middle.

"I welcome you all, great warriors of the church, your exploits are to the honor of the Father. We are all very pleased that you have returned safe and sound from your mission."

Kirei remarks.

"It's kinda clear to see that we all didn't return safe and sound or is it that you just decided to skip the fact that we are currently incomplete??"

Zino asks with a slight annoyance on his face.

"Zino… now's not the time for that."

Elisha remarks.

"Apologies, I spoke out of line."

Zino says with a sarcastic tone.

"No need to apologize, I completely understand why you would be upset but you must understand that this war was never going to be an easy victory for us.

It was going to be a war to test our will in the worst of ways. But do not falter, our creator shall make sure that no harm befalls his children."

Kirei remarks with a sigh.

"Don't make me laugh, you guys are supposed to be his children??.. How many of you guys have been killed??."

Jonathan asks stepping forward.

"It is all for a purpose, I can assure you."

Kirei replies nonchalantly.

"I wonder if you dying at my hands would also be for a purpose."

Zino mutters in a menacing tone.

"Now that's enough. This is not the time or place to be having this conversation, we have a mission report to give after which we would be free to let out our frustrations in whatever ways we please."

Elisha remarks slightly agitated by the exchange.

"Of course, this way… I shall lead you to his holiness at once."

Kirei remarks gesturing with his hands.

The priests give way as the apostles follow Kirei as he leads them into the papacy to meet with the pope.

There is a mixture of fear and awe in the eyes of the priests as they gazed upon the team that was meant to be their trump card in the war.

Whispers go round as the apostles walk through the papacy with other priests as well as nuns mumbling amongst themselves as they set eyes on the apostles.

Maybe it was a fear of their awesome power or maybe a fear of the unknown due to the fact that they were no longer completely human that caused it but a hint of fear could be seen in the eyes of most who saw then walk by.

But then it was a normal thing for humans to be scared of things they couldn't fully understand or grasp, an unfortunate but necessary trait for humanity for though that trait had caused unnecessary deaths in the past it has also averted a few dangers but that obviously did not make it right.

The apostles were used to the unnerving stares they got from the 'normal' humans in the Sanctuary as it has always been that way but that didn't mean that they liked it.

It was quite unfortunate that the people that they sort to protect would look upon them as monsters and fear them.

it sometimes made them question their place in the society but it was quite obvious that they were seen more as weapons to use against hell's forces and not as actual humans with feelings.