The remaining walk to the City of Va was uninterrupted. The long unknown journey that Robin and Callie were on had ended as they took their first steps onto the brick ground that pathed the roads of Va.
From out of the dark woods they stepped into a gloomy city that made the forest path seem like heaven. The bland world around them was the opposite of the city of Fintan and it was clear to Callie just how much she missed the old city.
"I want to go back." She said as she turned to her sister, stomping her worn-out feet on the ground. "I want to go back to Fishy's place!"
"Callie!" Robin turned to her sister's sudden rude outburst but Fishy just laughed it off and smiled.
"Don't worry, you two are welcome back whenever. You'll be able to stay for as long as you like and even live there if you wish."
"Y-yeah… see Callie? We can go back whenever we want. Fishy's kind enough to let us go back. So we can do that, ok?"
Robin held Callie tight in her arms as if she didn't want to let go. Her voice was shaking but Fishy took no notice to it as he was already looking for their father.
"What does he look like?"
"He's kind of old. Grey hair, large build, beard."
"So he could be anyone in this town…" Fishy looked at all the old grey-bearded men around him, unsure of if they were all there last time he arrived and if Va was a giant retirement home.
"Maybe, you should go. You can get a head start back home if you leave now." Robin tried to push Fishy from behind to send him back into the forest but he wouldn't move. He was a brick wall that wasn't going to be moved easily by a young girl.
"Why aren't you moving?" Robin kept attempting as Callie slowly approached from behind, grabbing her sister's hand.
"What?" Robin turned to see her sister's tearful eyes.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"I don't want to go!" Callie screamed, causing everyone's eyes to dart to her.
"It's ok… I get it." Robin started to panic as she couldn't clean up her sister's snot with her sleeve anymore. She looked up to Fishy who was still looking around.
"Ah!" Fishy screamed as he ran off.
Robin turned her head in a panic to see where Fishy walked off to only to watch as he came running right back with someone new to her. A man dressed heavily in caramel coloured armour. The man who was in charge of King Dean's army, Vogef.
"I knew you'd be back someday!" Vogef screamed as he crushed Fishy against his sweaty armour.
"Well, I'm just here to find someone."
"You did the same thing last time. Va isn't some kind of hub for you to find whatever you want."
"I know, but this time it's for them."
Fishy revealed like a gameshow host, the two girls with red teary eyes hidden behind him. They both looked up to Vogef who smiled brightly as his dark hair absorbed the above sun.
"What can I do for you two girls?"
The two of them were silent, but eventually, Robin's face sunk as she came forward.
"We are looking for our dad. He was here to meet the king and told us he'd be waiting."
"Meeting the king? I do recall someone was meeting with the king today. I was even told I couldn't meet them. Your dad must be a very important person."
"Y-yeah…" Robin took Callie's hand as she dragged her along the streets. They all followed behind Vogef as he led them closer to the castle where they assumed they would meet their father, but as they were walking, Callie started to resist the pull of her sister and stopped in place.
"No!" She screamed. "I don't want to go! He'll kill us!"
The wind blew through the air as they all turned to face her. A 10-year-old girl screaming as her chest compacted more and more. Her tears stormed onto the floor as Fishy realised just how serious things had become. He turned to Robin who couldn't make eye contact. He slowly approached Callie, but as he took his first step towards them, a voice called out:
"Callie? Robin?"
The dark deep booming voice that called from behind them froze both Fishy and Vogef in their tracks. The steps to reach the girls felt like a marathon. The shadow of the man behind him was larger than anything he had witnessed before in his life.
Fishy gently turned around, turning past Vogef who didn't want to even look. He saw the man who only just towered over him, his short grey hair and scruffy beard was just like he imagined. But the visions of his own death was something he couldn't predict.
"It is you two. How long has it been?"
His voice seemed calm but his aura was like that of a wall. One that surrounded the entire world in a steel case that not even a million warheads could wish to dent. That was the power of the man in front of them. The power of the man who was at the head of the most powerful organisation.
For he is a demon disguised as a human.
The ordinary-looking destruction.
He is the head of the Church of heroes and his name is one that should never be forgotten, and that name is Gabriel.