[XASTOL CITY GATES]
Captain Upo stared listlessly into the distance.
He'd failed Counselor Ruo. He'd failed his son, never managing to instill the true dwarven values Hidemi had reminded them of. But above all, he'd failed Xastol. The Sentries were meant to be what protected Xastol from threats. They were the only dwarves allowed to fight and carry weapons, but their greatest honor came in protecting the wall. The wall itself was imbued with ancient spells and Sanctum Energy from an era long past when Arsaes had constructed them. Speaking plainly, they were more than enough to protect from any outside threat, and yet… the Sentries were tasked with protecting what protected the city.
It was a hard pill to stomach at first. The captain couldn't bring himself to face Hidemi, Ivan, Jacender, and Aleximus. Even Esi had rarely seen his father. It seemed most of the Captain's days were spent alongside the wall over the past few weeks. However, now? Upo had slowly been coming to grips with his place in the new Xastol that awaited everyone. The new Xastol he was meant to help build. He knew he'd have to face Ivan and his son soon. The same son he'd devoted hours to torturing outside the walls of Xastol with taunts of never again seeing his father.
Shame couldn't begin to describe what Upo Phizar felt in his stomach.
The sun glared in his eye, alerting him to something near the east front. "What now?" he grumbled, reaching for his binoculars. He furrowed his brow and saw it there, a few miles out: two horses in white and red armor dragging behind it a pure black wagon placed several inches above the horses' heads. There was no rider.
Some of the men noticed his staring and took a look for themselves.
"What do you think it is, Cap'n''?" one of his men asked as he leaned over the ledge.
He stood up and strained his eyes, hoping to get a better look. "..! Isn't that—"
Upo realized at the same time and pulled him back. "Don't just stand there! Go alert the Council!" he ordered. He pushed the officer towards the elevator shaft and gulped down hard.
That mark, he thought. He stared at the symbol on the carriage's roof and thought back a decade when he'd been a Sentry Officer. It was a day he wouldn't soon forget: when people from the continent escorted Ivan Murong back to Xastol with stipulations of detainment for over fifteen years.
"By order of the Pope and the Dei Verbum accord, Ivan Murong is not to leave this city for sixteen years," the hooded worshippers had said. "If such an event occurs, the Church will have no choice but to execute Ivan Murong."
Upo remembered seeing the men bring their palms together, point towards the sky, then to their heads, their hearts, and finally clasping their hands together once more and kissing them with a strange whisper:
"Ovarem Dominae."
Upo gazing at the dove clutching two keys and knew then that this was the Church of Gabriel, the city had been whispering about in the weeks when Ivan had returned with his human wife.
He raised his binoculars again and mumbled, "I can't believe they'd show up here again. What do they want?"
He slid his finger along the barrel, Sanctum Energy humming as he did, and the lenses automatically focused enough for him to see right up against the carriage window. Looks like two men, he realized. I'd be relieved, but I should know better by now. Nothing is ever as it seems, is it?
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[XASTOL CITY, OUTSIDE OF DRAGONS BREATH TOWER]
After passing the gates, the carriage descended through the city elevator and continued on without pause, straight to Dragon's Breath Tower. Both mares halted before the grand tower, their hooves eerily silent, as if enchanted to make no sound at all.
The doors to the passenger's seat split from their hinges, suddenly becoming malleable and carefully fell back until both roofs had touched the floor. The second they had, ribbons burst from the top and bottom rail, flying towards the underbelly of the carriage and wrapping themselves along the brake shoe until they were each so tight that the doors were held in place. Finally, red Sanctum Energy glew along the panel edges, transmuting the grooves into fully-formed steps.. A descending staircase was born.
Two men exited the wagon, removing their hoods. From above the balcony, Ivan surveyed them. The first thing that drew the Counselor's attention was the men's outerwear: coats that seemed more like robes than coats. On both their backs lay a peculiar crest: a large golden eye with wings. On the men's shoulders, however, sat the Church of Gabriel's iconic symbol: the dove holding keys.
So it's them, Ivan thought. A bead of sweat slid down the back of his neck, chilling him as he recalled the letter he'd been sent earlier that day.
From the Black Institute
By the Grace of our Lord Gabriel and our Holy Father, His Eminence the Pope:
To Ivan Murong of Xastol City, Paragon of Iron Forges,
In regard to your petition addressed to Eburacum, Evangelist Hall has intercepted and reviewed your request for passage to the town of Zenica, Cielterre by way of the Black Institution. His Grace, Archbishop Damien Black, as well as His Grace, Richard Black, have sanctioned your query and will arrive in Xastol by midday.
Please prepare.
Ivan massaged his eyebrows and examined the men's faces. They're the Archbishops…
They were young, Ivan noticed. Perhaps in their early twenties at most. Damien had a face full of sunshine; his smile shining alongside his eyes as he stretched his arms. His brother, Richard, on the other hand, was less outgoing, but maintained a strange aura of serenity. His bangs covered most of his face, so it was hard to see the Archbishop's eyes, but Ivan wondered if that was intentional. If time had permitted, he would have loved to inspect them more before they walked into the tower, but suddenly—
"That man on the balcony," Richard said with a soft smile. He raised his chin, looking out in the direction Ivan stood, and motioned the Paragon to his brother. "That must be Ivan Murong."
"AH!" Damien beamed. He cupped his palms to his mouth and sucked in as much air as he could muster before bellowing: "HELLO THERE! ARE YOU IVAN MURONG?!"
Ivan frowned at the abrupt scream, his neck feeling hot as he rubbed it. "Y-Yes!" he yelled down. "You're the Archbishops, aren't you? Please — come up!"
Damien grinned, turned to Richard, and beckoned him to follow. "WE'LL BE RIGHT UP!"
Richard shook his head playfully at his brother's volume and did as he was told.
Strange, Ivan gulped. He kept his eyes fixed on Richard until long after they'd entered the tower. How did he see me with his back turned?
A hand touched his shoulder, pulling him back to the present. "Come, Ivan," Huin said. Ivan spun to see his own brothers standing behind him, their expressions comforting. "These guests are important people outside the walls, yes? Let's prepare to welcome them."
Gido firmly placed his hand on Ivan's other shoulder. "We'll face them together, brother. As a family."
Ivan couldn't help but smile. Their differences had stretched many years, yes, but even after weeks of finally being with his brothers again, the sense of familiarity had still felt a bit foreign to him. But it was in moments like these — moments when the odds felt insurmountable — that Ivan was truly grateful to have them behind his back.
"I'll be counting on you, then."
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[XASTOL CITY, DRAGONS BREATH TOWER, TOP FLOOR]
"Tea?" Ivan asked.
Damien's eyes widened with interest. "We'd love some tea! Is it special here in Xastol?! It must be, right?! We've always wanted to visit!"
The Archbishops were seated together at Ruo's old empty table, their backs to the balcony. Ivan and Huin sat on the other side, facing them directly. Gido was the only one standing, in his hands a circular plate on which sat two hot cups of tea.
"I'm afraid it's just ordinary tea," Gido laughed awkwardly. "But it does have many health benefits, like increased circulation."
Damien grinned, not even the slightest hint of embarrassment in his eyes, and shouted: "I'll drink it anyway!"
Both brothers grabbed the tea and thanked the Counselor.
Damien took a swig, half-swallowed, and regretted it within the same second it'd entered his mouth. He gagged, nearly spitting it out if not for Richard pinching his leg.
"Manners, Damien."
Damien retched and pinched his nose like a child. "I-It's… wonderful!" he lied.
Gido glanced uncomfortably at Ivan and Huin, unsure of what the issue was, but nearly staggered once he'd seen his younger brother's pale face. It said only one thing:
"What are you doing, you fool?! Serve them tea they actually want!"
Gido's head whipped back around to the Archbishops. "A-Are you okay?" he asked nervously. "G-Great!" Damien lied. "I... just wish it had some more... sugar!"
Richard pinched him again: a warning that that wasn't polite to say.
"Thank you for accepting our letter," Richard said to Ivan. He sipped from the tea and set it down on the table, finding no problem with its taste. "We're aware the timing is sudden, so for you to be as hospitable as you are… we hope we didn't make things too hard for you, Councilmen."
Ivan shook his head and waved him off. "There is no need to apologize. We're equally grateful that you made time to come out here yourselves, regardless of how sudden. Though I did have a question I wanted to ask you myself, if that's okay."
Richard smiled, raising his cup. "It's about our positions, right? I imagine you'd be curious to know who we are. Feel free to ask."
Ivan's nervousness settled. No use beating around the bush, huh? He'd realized quickly that while Damien was the louder of the two, Richard seemed to be the more analytical one. In some ways, they reminded him of Jacender and Aleximus.
"You caught me," Ivan said, throwing his hands up in a joking manner. "I suppose nothing gets past the watchful eyes of the Church of Gabriel."
Damien's eyebrows knit together, detecting a vague sense of snark in the statement, but he chose not to say anything. Instead, Richard assumed the lead in the conversation, saying:
"Twelve years ago, after the events on Verglas, you agreed to sign a Dei Verbum covenant with the Church that sentenced you to live out the next sixteen years within Xastol without access to the outside world. Though your agreement was signed with the Pope himself, it would only make sense that you don't know us. It'd be even stranger if you'd heard of such a thing as Archbishops during your detainment here. We didn't exist twelve years ago after all."
Ivan's eyes fluttered, unsure of what to make of his words. "You didn't exist? What are you—"
"—What Richard means," Damien interrupted. "Is that we didn't have our titles or rank until around six years ago, when the Father named us as the first Archbishops of Gabriel!"
Huin and Gido stared at each other. They had no clue what any of them were speaking about. Dealings outside of Xastol were too foreign to them.
The first Archbishops? Ivan repeated the phrase in his mind. Something doesn't make sense. After what happened on Verglas — what Mercurius did — how could Jeremiah have found replacements so quickly?!
"Excuse me for my bluntness, but you both look young," Ivan said. "Where did the Pope find you, and how would you have the experience to carry such titles?"
He heard the soft clack of Richard setting down his cup, observing it was already empt,y and then looked to him. For a split second, Ivan could see his hidden eyes — gray and crystal clear, but not looking at anything in particular.
A reminiscent smile appeared on both Damien's face as he thought back twelve years. The surrounding areas had been submerged in flames, including their old home. Everything that wasn't still visible had already been burned to ash.
Damien had been hunched over the floor, retching as he spat out the fumes he'd inhaled. His left leg had been split open, down to the bone, and was spewing crimson. Besides him, quiet as a mouse, sat Richard, propped up against the collapsed roof, holding onto the hand of someone who'd been crushed beneath the house: their mother.
Soft footfalls had approached them both, turning Damien's head to the newcomer. That was the first time they'd met the Pope, Father Jeremiah himself. He was adorned in a red alb and black chasuble decorated with golden letters. His mitre pointed to the aurora borealis above their heads, basking in their glow and dimming out the raging flame behind them.
Damien would never forget how the Pope had come forward, stopping his bleeding with a wave of his scepter and turned to Richard, his eyes hidden by the sheen of his crooked spectacles, and placed his hand over his and their mother's.
"Do you seek salvation, child?" he'd said. It was the first time Richard had looked up since his older brother had pulled him out of the flames. It was the first time he'd seen the Pope's eyes — the eyes of an angel.
Damien looked up at Ivan, his melancholic dream at an end, and grinned as he always did. "In truth… we're originally from Verglas! Two of the only survivors!"
Ivan jumped up, rocked by the reveal, and accidentally knocked over his table. "Ivan!" his brothers chastised sharply.
"Y…You're from Verglas..?" Ivan examined them again, this time fully seeing the men who sat in front of them. "But how can that be?"
Richard raised his palm and gestured for him to settle down. "It's alright," he said. "We don't bear any hatred towards you, Paragon Ivan. The Church had its reasons, and the Commonwealth Coalition was duty-bound to assist. That, we understand. If anything, our anger would be aimed at the Cursed Sinner: the man who burned down our friends and family without any remorse."
"But ever since he died, we've given up on vengeance altogether!" Damien added. "The Father himself raised us after our mother died, instilling us with the Church's virtues and as much knowledge as he could! We dedicated ourselves to Gabrielism, eventually becoming strong enough to carry out our Lord's message as Archbishops of Gabriel! It's the highest honor we've ever known!"
Ivan watched as Damien rolled up his pants to reveal a mechanical leg in place of where his left leg ought to be. Damien noticed the dwarf's look and smiled. "The Church saved our lives and blessed me with a new leg, courtesy of the Onnarius Consulate! I've been proud to call it my home!"
Ivan inclined his head, nodding. At last, he understood the purpose behind their visit and why the two were not as outraged as he'd expected them to be. They were young, which attributed to their outlook on life, but they were also victims of tragedy. Maybe that was why the brothers had such an approachable energy to them.
So, this Evangelist Hall must have been formed recently as a result of their new positions. That was why I had no notion of an onsite Church base established in Cielterre. But what bothers me most… is that the Jeremiah I know was never so sentimental as to take in children…
He thought of the Pope, regal in all his grandness, and sighed.
"I see," Ivan said aloud. "At any rate, I'm glad to know that Church is being helped by such amiable people. I suspect if the main branch had intercepted my letter, this conversation would be a great deal different."
Damien laughed loudly. "You might be right about that!"
"Speaking of," Richard added. "The boys you mentioned in your letter — Jacender and Aleximus — they're the ones in need of passage to Zenica, aren't they? They don't seem to be around."
Ivan swiped the edge of his table, bringing up a holographic analog clock. "Yes. I sent for them not long ago. They should have arrived by—"
Just as he'd said, someone's knuckles rattled along the Council's doors, drawing all of their attention.
"That must be them," Ivan sighed. He rose, ready to meet them as the door opened. Hopefully, it shouldn't go too badly. The twins seem level-headed enough. They wouldn't cause any ruckus, would they?
BRGGGG
The doors burst open, and Ivan, Gido, and Huin's jaws immediately dropped to the floor in shock at what they were seeing.
A few steps ahead, Aleximus held Jacender in a careless headlock with a vein throbbing at his temple. Jacender smacked his brother's forearms, choking as he unintelligably threatened to do worse. At their side, Hidemi tugged at Aleximus's shirt, begging him to exercise restraint, but to no avail. Aleximus wouldn't listen. Jacender had yet again managed to annoy his twin to no end.
"I—" a bashful voice said. The Counselors and Archbishops peered past the scene to Hisagi Murong, who stood behind them, cheeks red and his hands behind his back. "I tried… to stop… them."
Aleximus, realizing they were being watched, looked up to see the Archbishops staring at them. He glanced at them, then at the Counselors' frightened faces, and released his brother, looking away as if he'd done nothing wrong.
Jacender crashed onto the floor and heaved for air while Hidemi crouched down next to him and patted him on the back for increased circulation. "I-I'll kick your ass, you bastard!" Jace wheezed.
Aleximus dug into his ear with his pinkie and shrugged. "I told you not to jump on my back."
Damien rose from his seat and came around the table, filling the air with silence. The boys, despite having no idea who he was, could feel something of importance in his stride and outfit. After a few steps, the Archbishop stopped in front of the recovering Jacender and extended his arm. Then, he snickered.
"I LIKE YOU!" he bellowed. "IS THAT YOUR BROTHER?!"
Aleximus and Hisagi flinched at the sudden noise, but somehow, Jacender — who bore the direct brunt of it — was unaffected. Instead, his eyes widened, finding a sense of kinship in Damien's and accepting the man's outstretched hands. "Yeah," the boy said, standing. "He annoys the hell out of me!"
Damien let out a hearty laugh before leaning forward and inspecting Aleximus thoroughly with a smile. "I can tell! You love each other very much, don't you?!"
The twins blushed. They hadn't expected to hear that of all things from someone they'd just met.
"I—" Jace started.
"Hey!" Aleximus shouted sheepishly. "Who are you to assume that? You don't even know us. Plus, you're human, aren't you? What are you doing inside Xastol's walls?"
Jacender's expression changed, too, as he gave another look at the blonde-haired man. "That's true!" he said. "Mr.Ivan said most humans were barred from coming near Xastol, right?"
He looked to Ivan for an answer. The Counselor nodded, ready to explain himself, but the man in the back — Richard — spoke before he could:
"You're sharp, aren't you?"
Richard stood, gripping the edge of the table as he did, and slowly approached the boys.
"Realizing we're human, and high-ranking ones at that…" he let his voice trail off to catch Aleximus's next reaction. "I even suspect you provoked your brother and held him in that armbar so you'd have a logical reason to find out more about who we are if we chose to stop you or if we didn't."
Aleximus averted his gaze, ashamed that he'd been caught, and he crossed his arms. "That's… You have no proof."
Richard chuckled dryly and finally stood next to his brother. Both pairs of siblings observed the other, not yet sure what to make of them, until Richard gave in with another soft smile.
"We're envoys from the Church of Gabriel," Richard said. "We've come to escort you to the town of Zenica." Aleximus barely masked a sharp gasp before Damien inclined his head towards him.
Aleximus thought back to the Axis, months ago, and remembered Hatagi's outburst after he'd seen Jacender's Codex:
"With that Codex," he'd said, "I don't have to work for the Guild or that Church anymore! I can finally get revenge on that damned Embassy!"
That Church he mentioned, Aleximus thought, …is it them?!
Suspicion plagued his thoughts, making him more and more distrusting of the two men than he'd been before. From the way Hatagi had spoken about the Church, it was as if he'd known them personally or had a relationship with their organization. As far as Aleximus knew, whether or not the Eclipse Guild and the Church were in cahoots, neither one was fully trustworthy. Information, he thought. Information was the only thing that would be useful at this point in time.
"So the Council asked you to take us?" he asked with a glance at Ivan, Huin, and Gido.
"Nope!" Damien said excitedly. "Originally, the letter had requested transportation in the form of horses! You were meant to receive a few and ride for Zenica yourselves!"
Ivan nodded and stepped forward. "Yes, but I had made an oversight."
"Due to his status as a Paragon and the nature of his agreement with the Church twelve years ago, the letter was flagged as a warning regarding a person of note," Richard revealed.
"Person of note?" Jace said aloud. "What happened twelve years ago?"
"Owa?" Hidemi repeated with a babble.
Before Richard could continue, Ivan placed his hand up, firmly saying: "It's not something children need to know about. Just know that it is the reason why I cannot leave Xastol for some time."
Hidemi and Jace nodded, leaving it alone, and turned their attention back to the brothers. Aleximus silently stored away the small bits of knowledge the grown-ups divulged and kept his expression neutral enough for no one to notice.
"Anyways," Richard said. "Due to the letter, our base in Cileterre — the Black Institute — received the letter after it was flagged. Paragon Ivan had no idea this had happened or that we'd be coming today. Our arrival here was a surprise to him until just a short while ago."
"Right!" Damien grinned. "It was a lucky thing we came back when we did! Another day, and the letter would have been rerouted to Church headquarters on Nazareth Island! Could you imagine what would happen if someone learned that a Paragon had broken the rules, allowing two humans to enter and live in Xastol for weeks despite Church decree, and then asked for transportation without specifying whether or not he'd leave too? It's good that we got it instead!"
Well, when you phrase it like that… Ivan's shoulders slumped over in an embarrassed fashion while Jacender and Aleximus wore faces of semi-confusion and shock. Is the Church that powerful? Aleximus wondered. And if so…
His eyes narrowed as he sensed the pressure the two men let off. …Does that mean these two are high-ranking enough to wave away any trouble?
Jacender had come to a similar conclusion. "So basically… you're the reason Mr.Ivan isn't in any trouble right now, right?"
"You got it!" Damien smiled.
Aleximus's eye twitched. He wondered if he could have been wrong about the Church. Were they truly good people? Or was this how they seemed to others who didn't know of them?
Regardless, Aleximus thought. They make it sound as if the Church has some serious respect and sway in the continent. That means a lot of people should know who they are. Jace and I can't slip up now and have them suspect anything.
"Still," Ivan said, regaining his composure. "It is an interesting thing that you came all the way out here just to help two boys. You could have easily sent some other envoys."
Richard shook his head. "Maybe so. But it is the duty of the Church's Evangelist Branch to help all in need of salvation, regardless of right or wrong. Besides," he smiled, nudging Damien. "...As my brother told you when you first served us tea: we've always wanted to visit Xastol."
Huin and Gido's restlessness settled. It was an odd feeling for them as dwarves to meet humans. Not only to meet humans, but to converse with them, host them, and learn from them. It was even odder for them to hear such praise of their brother and their city from people they'd been raised to hate for centuries. They wondered if this was the same sensation that had convinced Ivan to leave Xastol all those years ago.
"So," Richard said to Aleximus directly. "Are you willing to trust us to deliver you?"
Aleximus remained still for a long time. He had no idea what to make of two in general, but when it came to Richard, it was even harder to pinpoint who he truly was. He'd always had a good sense at seeing past people's falsehoods; Aleximus considered it a strength, but now… the man before him — his grey eyes and blank stare — it felt as if he'd been doing the same thing to Aleximus since the moment he'd walked in.
Finally, Aleximus broke eye contact with him, tired of being studied, and uncrossed his arms. "I don't trust anyone," he said coldly. "...but you're our only way out there right now."
Jacender scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him! He's suuuuper edgy! What he meant to say is that we'd like your help!"
"That's right," Ivan agreed. He glanced out of the window at the midday sun. "You don't have much time. I've had Captain Upo ready your things and bring them by the northwestern gate."
Hidemi jumped at his father's words and quickly weaved signs with his hands. "Owa?!"
"Yes," Ivan said, reading them. "They will need to leave within the hour. The longer they stay, the harder it will be for the Archbishops to explain their presence here."
He turned to the brothers. "Right?"
The Archbishops nodded. "Your father is right, young master Hidemi," Richard said. Ivan's brows stood, shocked that he'd known who his son was, let alone his name. "We ourselves need to make our way to Nazareth Island and make our reports."
Huin adjusted his glasses, recognizing something familiar. "Those reports you mention," he said. "A prison guard of ours — Wèi — shared with me some information from Xastol's only newsbox. He'd said you two had been tasked with exhuming bodies in a place called Durlin, yes? Do your reports have anything to do with that?"
For the first time, Damien's smile vanished. "It's not something we can speak about openly, Counselor, so I hope you forgive us. I'd also prefer not to speak of things like that in front of children, either."
Huin realized the shift in tone and quickly apologized. Ivan took back control of the conversation and faced the Archbishops.
"Gentlemen, please make your way towards the walls. Jacender, Aleximus, quickly get changed and follow after them."
Hidemi raised his arm, hoping to touch Aleximus's shoulder, but Aleximus brushed him off and turned past him. "Come on, Jace!" he shouted, ignoring Hidemi. "We don't have much time."
Jace opened his mouth. "Hey! What are you—"
Aleximus grabbed his arm and yanked him so swiftly, they were already out of the room before Jacender had realized it.
Hidemi stood there, alone, in the shadow of where the brothers had once stood, and hung his head in silence. "H-Hidemi," Hisagi began. He stepped forward, noticing the tear in his cousin's eye, and tried to say something. But before he could—
TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP!
Hidemi ran out of the room, covering his face so no one would see his tears, and disappeared from view. He hadn't yet wanted his friends to leave.
It's only natural he feels that way, Ivan thought with a somber smile. He had noticed the moment Aleximus had grabbed Jacender and run out of the room.
The boy puts up an unfeeling front, and yet he can't help but feel for Hidemi, can he? He's stubborn, that one.
Both Archbishops smiled. Damien put his hands on his hips and stared down the long hall, thinking of Aleximus. "It's not that he doesn't care, huh? I think that boy just cares too much when it comes to those close to him! That's why he masks it with cruelty!"
"Yeah," Richard smiled. He came forward until he was side by side with Hisagi, who stood there, unsure of what to do. "They're good kids, aren't they?"
"Yes," Hisagi said gloomily. "It's what makes them so infuriatingly annoying. Hidemi most of all."
Richard placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Then maybe you're the best one to tell him what he needs to hear."
Hisagi looked up at his smiling face and then back down the hall, understanding. In the back, Ivan listened carefully, slowly putting together what it was that Richard was saying to his nephew.
"But will it be the best choice?" Hisagi mumbled.
"Who knows?" Richard responded. "At least it will be his."
He strode by Hisagi, removing his hand, but leaving with the boy the best wisdom he could. Richard didn't know the boys well enough to tell them what to do, but he knew better than anyone that the only person who could give you salvation… was yourself.
"Let's go, Damien."
Damien accompanied his brother and made his way out of the Councilroom. Before he was too far, he turned to the Council and bowed as was custom in Xastol. "Thank you for the tea! We hope to see you again outside of these walls one day, lord Ivan!"
Huin and Gido bowed in return and waved goodbye.
"Yes," Ivan said, smiling. "I hope so, too."
[ENVOYS]