Evidence Item 2: An Excerpt from The Ballad of the Water Dragon's Fall
In the depths of the Sea, beneath the gaze of the gods, a fearsome Dragon lay. Its scales, hard as steel, its heart, full of rage!
Brave God King of the Sea, whose Ship carries our dreams! Has imprisoned the wrathful Dragon beneath the waves! Has won the Authority of the Sea!
The Temple of Golden Ichor built, to suppress this immortal being, to humble this mighty stone!
Yet terror befalls the lands, drowned by the raging Sea. The Ichor turns foul, the calamitous Dragon surges free.
The Brave King sails the Sea, but falls before the Dragon's waves! Who shall quell its Wrath? Who shall hold back the Sea?
The Noble Usurper appears, to slay the wicked beast! Her form is Purest Water, her Justice is swift and fierce!
The Dragon shall rise again, yet the Noble Usurper stands watchful in the deep! To hide its wrath away, to belay its destined return!
Oh Purest Water! We beseech you! Claim the Authority of the Sea!
Droplets of icy water landed on the bare skin of his face as Neuvillette tilted his face towards the sky. Rainwater pooled in his collar and snaked down, drenching his hair and seeping into his clothes. Neuvillette listened to the sound of falling rain muffling all other sounds. It was unlikely that anyone would come across him on this deserted beach so he had shrugged off the thick coat that he normally wore and removed the bow in his hair, allowing his hair to fall freely over his shoulders. He sat on a boulder by the sea.
It was a rare indulgence for him to sit in the rain. Neuvillette was not sure anyone else besides him could understand just why it felt so pleasant. It was as if he was dissolving into a boundless sea of memories, his own emotions dulled and diluted by the chaotic and disconnected emotions dancing in every raindrop.
The irony did not escape him that the children of Fontaine believed that the rain symbolized his tears. Neuvillette sometimes wondered if they were right. He could not always tell what he was feeling after all.
Neuvillette raised a hand, feeling the rainwater soak through his glove and pool in his palm.
Was it sadness he felt right now? Anger? Fear? Guilt? Maybe it was all of these.
In hindsight, many things became clear.
Between his exhaustion from quelling the Primordial Sea and the nagging worry he felt for Furina, he had neglected to sit down and actually think about how the current circumstances had arisen. This couldn't continue, not if he wanted to find Furina and make sure she was safe.
So now that he was alone at last, and since he had just received a new piece of evidence to consider, Neuvillette closed his eyes.
In his mind's eye, an imaginary court session began.
Within the Opera Epiclese of his mind, the spotlights switched on, illuminating the Oratrice at centre stage. Neuvillette sat in the Prosecutor's booth, looking across at the Defendant's booth with narrowed eyes. The Defendant's booth was darkened for now, but he could discern a form within.
"Hehehehe…" a smug, bell-like laugh resounded from the highest seat of the opera house, a familiar sound that he'd grown accustomed to over the years.
There could only be one audience for this trial, only one whom he answered to above all- the God of Justice herself. Furina's beaming face looked down at him, eager to consume the drama that was about to unfold.
"Let the trial regarding Lady Furina's disappearance begin," Neuvillette declared.
"Objection!" Furina shouted, immediately happy to interrupt his flow, "My dear Iudex, isn't it customary for both the accuser and the accused to be present in the court before the session begins?" she leaned forward in her seat and made an excited flourish with a hand, "All I see is an empty booth!"
"If you would be patient, Lady Furina," Neuvillette replied levelly, "The accused has, in fact, already arrived."
In the Defendant's booth, a pair of red-crossed eyes glowed. The lights above the booth switched on, revealing Arlecchino, the Knave, perched elegantly in an armchair, clawed gloves folded over her crossed knees.
"And what am I to be accused of…Monsieur Neuvillette?" drawled the Knave. A flicker of amusement flashed in her cold, predatory eyes.
Neuvillette drew a breath, hands resting on his cane as he focused his attention on the Harbinger before him, "I propose that you, Lady Arlecchino, are guilty of engineering Lady Furina's disappearance."
The Knave's lips turned down, her expression turning unreadable, "That is a serious accusation, Monsieur Neuvillette. I hope you understand if I refuse to accept it."
"How did you manage to arrive at this conclusion, Neuvillette?" Furina piped up, "Please proceed and let it be known that I, the God of Justice, witness this!" she said, puffing up her chest proudly, "It's finally my turn to declare- the court is now in session~!"
"Firstly, let us examine the circumstances of Lady Furina's disappearance," Neuvillette began, "From my examination of her quarters and a note that she had left behind for me, it is very likely that she left the Palais voluntarily. This then begs the question- why did she leave?"
"It's a matter of trust, isn't it?" the Knave spread a taloned hand. A cold smirk formed on her face, "Perhaps that weak and pathetic fool left because she simply wanted to leave, because she doesn't trust you anymore."
Trust…yes, there was an issue of trust. Although Neuvillette still believed that Furina trusted him with her people, somewhere along the line, she had certainly lost faith in their personal relationship. She had not trusted him with her secrets and he had also treated her the same way.
However.
"Lady Furina may have her faults but she has never faltered in her quest to save Fontaine from the prophesied crisis. Even if…" the words felt like a heavy weight on his chest, but Neuvillette forced them out nonetheless, "Even if she has lost faith in me, she would not have suddenly departed unless there was a good reason," he turned his gaze up, to the smiling Furina that existed in the court of his mind, "I believe in her, the God of Justice of Fontaine."
"Hmph, that may be so," Arlecchino whispered poisonously, "But what could I have to do with her being compelled to leave then?"
Before the Oratrice, before the God of Justice herself, Neuvillette drew a bottle of black blood from his coat and set it on the edge of the balcony with an audible click.
"I shall present the first item of evidence, a bottle of blood presented to me in secret by the Knave. It is claimed that this is the ichor of my predecessor, containing the memories of my previous incarnation," Neuvillette said, "It is logical to suppose that the Knave gifted this to me because she intends for me to consume this. It is also obvious that I do not trust the Knave and would therefore not willingly imbibe this…unless there was a sufficiently strong impetus…such as believing that doing so would enable me to use the blood memories to locate and protect Lady Furina."
"I see! You propose that the Knave has a motive for causing my disappearance," Furina's head bobbed thoughtfully, "However, I am not so easily convinced! How, my dear Iudex, has she managed to put you in a position where you'd believe that consuming this blood would help you find me?"
"That would bring us to the second item of evidence," Neuvillette continued. A piece of paper materialized in his hand, "This is an anonymous letter that was delivered to my office at noon today. It details an excerpt from a ballad concerning the fall of my predecessor. At first glance, it seemed like a petty attempt at sowing distrust by implying that the Hydro Archon was involved in the fall of the Hydro Dragon, but if I were to posit that Lady Furina has received a similar letter, perhaps one with more details on the location of the Temple than what I have received…"
"You claim to believe in your Archon, yet you also believe she would be foolish enough to go on a wild goose chase," Arlecchino scoffed, folding her arms, "A rather contradictory position to adopt, isn't it?"
Neuvillette fell silent. His gaze drifted slowly up to Furina once more before he dropped his gaze. He touched his chest lightly. For a moment, it felt like he couldn't breathe.
"The third item of evidence, Furina's knowledge of my desire to understand myself. She is deeply aware of my cherished wish to understand the nature of my existence. If…If she were to receive a lead on the previous Hydro Dragon, especially at a time when she doubts my trust in her- then for my sake, she is very likely to recklessly pursue it with all her strength without any regard as to its provenance or to her own safety."
Arlecchino raised her hands. She began to clap slowly, a condescending smile on her face, "Well played, Monsieur Neuvillette…however, do you have any evidence that the letter you received came from me or my people? Or that Miss Furina was even made to receive a similar letter in the first place?"
Neuvillette stared down the Knave, his tone soft and deliberate, "I do not."
"That's right," Arlecchino smirked in triumph, "You lack the evidence to complete the chain of reasoning at this time."
"That is correct," Neuvillette nodded.
In a flash, the Oratrice disappeared. The opera house sunk into darkness except for the Knave and Furina standing before him, illuminated in the depths of his mind.
"However, this is not a real trial," Neuvillette continued, "Furina is likely in danger right now exploring the Temple described in the excerpt. I cannot wait to find further evidence. A decision must be made now before all is lost."
Neuvillette turned to the Knave, "You are guilty. You have sought to harm Lady Furina in order to plot against me. Of that I am almost certain, even without the confirmation of the Oratrice."
In response, Arlecchino smiled brilliantly, "You declare me guilty, Monsieur Neuvillette, but are you innocent yourself?" she chuckled, "You failed to notice Miss Furina's tears. You failed to trust her with your concerns. You failed to keep her safe from my machinations. You are guilty, Monsieur Neuvillette…what say you?"
The image of the Knave faded, her last words ringing in his ears. Neuvillette stood before the image of Furina alone. The God of Justice fidgeted before him, twirling a coil of her hair as she waited impatiently for him to speak.
"Well, my dear Iudex?" she asked, her mismatched eyes looked up at him with expectation. A little uncertainly, she clasped her hands together, twisting her fingers nervously as she added, "W-What do you think, Neuvillette?"
"I am indeed guilty, Lady Furina," Neuvillette murmured quietly to her, "But even so, I promised to stand by your side. It is utterly unacceptable to leave you in danger for a moment longer."
Neuvillette opened his eyes at last. The rain had grown a touch heavier while he had been thinking, reflecting the churning thoughts in his mind. Slowly, Neuvillette's gaze fell to his coat and he reached into it, retrieving the bottle of blood the Knave had given him.
Neuvillette uncapped the bottle, observing the supposed blood of the previous Hydro Dragon swirling within. It felt odd to his senses, as if it was still alive and aware. The droplets of blood rippled, calling out to him.
Neuvillette raised the bottle to his lips. He was fully aware that he was playing into Arlecchino's game by doing this. However, Furina was likely risking her life for his sake, wasn't it only fair that he did the same for her?
It tasted like stale water with a hint of an unidentifiable aftertaste that grew in intensity as it dissolved into him. The blood rushed to his head and the empty bottle slipped from his numb fingers, shattering on a rock below. Glowing waters swirled around him densely, forming translucent scales and fangs and claws.
Wrath. Vengeance. Judgement.
The waters of Fontaine swirled and churned with ancient, overwhelming rage. The ground shook and the skies burst open with water as a Dragon opened its eyes and roared.
Father stood under a shelter by the sea. Fatui soldiers were running around the secret dock, working on preparing the vessel nearby for use. It was an Indemnitium powered boat, fast and sleek in design, meant for a single person to operate. The rain fell in sheets, making visibility near zero further out at sea. Even this close to shore, it was all the stabilizers of the ship could do to prevent the waves from rocking the ship too heavily.
Lyney watched as Father stretched a hand slowly towards the sky. It was a gesture reminiscent of what Freminet did when he was younger and what many other young children still did when it rained.
'Hydro dragon, hydro dragon, don't cry!'
Father was from Fontaine as well. She had told them as much. Perhaps as a child, she too had shouted that to the Hydro Dragon when it rained.
There was a rare, unguarded expression on her face. Her eyes were clear, free from the hidden anger and intensity that they normally contained. If anything, Lyney thought that she almost looked a little regretful, even.
But then Father turned towards him and any emotions she might have had were masked under a neutral frown.
"How are the preparations going?" she asked.
Lyney bowed, "We're all in place to protect the people of Fontaine in case the weather gets worse. We've followed your arrangements precisely and all the rescue equipment is in place in case it's needed too."
"Very good. We must do whatever we can to prevent any casualties," Father gazed out at the churning sea.
The two of them stood side by side in silence, watching the activity in the dock.
"Do you want to ask me anything, Lyney?" Father spoke shortly. Her eyes were fixed contemplatively in the distance, as if she was thinking about many things.
There were many things Lyney wanted to ask, to tell the truth. For example, about the fact that looking out at the storm…it seemed like they might not have to wait for the Primordial Sea to burst forth at this rate.
Yet Father was clearly aware that this storm was coming. She'd had them preparing their men and their supplies to be put into position for weeks.
"Is this really going to save Fontaine, Father?" Lyney asked in the end.
Father turned to look at him, and then she shrugged.
"I'm not sure. But I believe it is likely to lead to an outcome that would," she said plainly.
Lyney took a moment to consider her words. He nodded slowly at her, "Thank you for being honest with me."
"We are both Fontainians," Father said, "We know better than most what's at stake should we fail to avert the prophesied crisis. I have no choice but to do what I can."
Lyney met her gaze as she looked down at him and wondered how much she believed her own words.
One of the Fatui soldiers waved at them. Father nodded and turned back to Lyney, "I'll be leaving now. You're in charge of managing operations while I'm gone…and in case I don't come back."
"Yes, Father," Lyney replied. He hesitated and then added, "Stay safe."
Father paused for a brief moment as she was walking away but she didn't look back as she leapt onto the ship. Lyney watched as she headed into the stormy sea.
Lyney listened to the howling winds. He could almost believe that it was the roars of a great beast somewhere out there in the sea.