(Chapter 31 A Strange Dream)
'And there he goes...'
Furina thought to herself as she waved her hand slightly, watching Tempest get into the elevator. He bowed his head slightly with a smile, his eyes reflecting a mixture of gratitude and determination. She continued to watch until the elevator doors closed, leaving her alone with her thoughts as she stood outside the door of the Palais Mermonia.
'You better keep your word, Tempest.'
Furina thought to herself.
"What did he mean by 'Forgiving towards me, when we meet again?', Hm, maybe he-
"Lady Furina."
"Eep!"
Furina jolted as she heard a voice she was so familiar with. The sound cut through the quiet night, bringing her back to reality.
'Ah, he's right behind me isn't he?'
She turned around slowly, her heart racing, and found herself face to face with someone she hadn't expected to see.
"M-My dear N-Neuvillette! What brings you in this l-lovely night? Haha..."
Furina chuckled nervously as she saw Neuvillette standing on the doorstep alongside Kiara. His presence was calm and composed. Furina took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves as she prepared to explain the unexpected events of the night.
"My dear Neuvillette, I will explain everything, but please keep it yourself..."
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On a speed boat en route to Poisson were Melus, Constantine, and Tempest. The boat sliced through the moonlit waters, creating a trail of frothy waves behind it. The night air was cool, and the stars above seemed to mirror the shimmering reflection of the sea below. Melus steered the boat with steady hands, his eyes focused on the horizon, while Constantine sat beside Tempest, ensuring his wounds were stable during the journey.
"Sorry, I lost your flintlock."
Tempest broke the silence.
"You've been shot four times, and that's the first thing you have to say?! What the hell happened to you, Young Master?!"
Constantine shouted at Tempest.
"It's a long story, Teacher, come closer for a bit."
Tempest said Constantine raised an eyebrow and shortly complied.
"There's a Fatui spy among the Spina di Rosula. They know we were planning to meet Callas."
Tempest said quietly to his Teacher, Constantine's eyes widened in response.
"I will tell you everything later alongside Callas. For now, I need to get these bullets out of my body."
Tempest concluded and Constantine nodded in response.
"Callas locked down Poisson earlier and had every member of the Spina di Rosula looking for you, but they were unsuccessful. Who patched up your wounds, by the way?"
Constantine asked him.
"Lady Furina did... She saved my life. I was foolish to think that I could just walk to Poisson from the court. When I got in the elevator, my hazy vision caused me to press the button to the Palais Mermonia instead of the aquabus station. She found me in the elevator, barely clinging to consciousness because she was chasing after a cat... Ha."
Tempest replied, a small smile crept on his face.
"Lady Furina did? Hmph, fate works in mysterious ways..."
Constantine said.
"Indeed it does, Teacher, indeed it does..."
Tempest smiled a faint glimmer of relief in his eyes. After a short while, the familiar silhouette of Poisson appeared on the horizon, its lights shimmering in the distance, promising refuge and safety.
Finally, the speedboat docked, and Constantine was the first to disembark, followed closely by Tempest. With a weary sigh, Tempest took in the familiar sights of Poisson, feeling relieved as they stepped onto solid ground.
"Thanks for the ride, Melus."
Tempest said to Melus.
"You're very welcome, Tempest, you both go in, I'll have to dock this boat somewhere else."
Melus replied, and both Constantine and Tempest nodded.
"Let's get your wounds treated first, Young Master. I suppose we'll be staying another night in Poisson."
Constantine said, while he walked towards the entrance of Poisson, followed closely by Tempest.
"No, we'll speak to Callas first. I agree on the second part, we'll have to stay here for the night."
Tempest said to his Teacher, Constantine nodded in response. Shortly they descend to the pathway of Poisson.
"Halt! What purpose have you come to Poisson for?"
A member of the Spina di Rosula stopped them both.
"Relax, it's us, and I've brought the Young Master with me."
Constantine said while he unveiled his cloak, revealing his face, he then put his hand on Tempest's left shoulder.
"Mm!"
Tempest groaned in pain, as Constantine put his hand on Tempest's left shoulder which was still suffering from a bullet wound.
"Shit!, my bad! Young Master!"
Constantine immediately withdrew his hand, offering a quick apology. Shortly afterward, the guards stepped aside, allowing them to enter.
"It's fine, morphine is still nulling the pain slightly, but touching it directly still hurts."
Tempest said as they both walked to the ship.
"We should most likely treat your bullet wounds first, Young Master, before they get infected."
Constantine suggested.
"Fine then, I'll explain everything tomorrow then... And Constantine, thanks for picking me up."
Tempest said, his tone filled with gratitude.
"You're very welcome, Young Master, be sure to give me an endless supply of wine once you become Duke, alright? Haha!"
Constantine smiled warmly and chuckled, ruffling Tempest's hair playfully.
"I regret saying that..."
Tempest muttered softly, and shortly they arrived at the ship in the middle of Poisson. Callas was standing at the exit, engaged in a conversation with the members of the Spina di Rosula. One of the members pointed towards Tempest, causing Callas to turn around. His eyes widened with relief and concern as he saw Tempest approaching.
"Tempest! Where have you been?!"
Callas approached Tempest with a look of concern on his face.
"Long story short, sir, I was kidnapped, forced to play a deadly game, and was shot four times. I need surgery to remove the bullets."
Tempest explained the details of what had happened while he was gone, providing a brief but comprehensive account.
"How are you even- Ah, never mind, follow me, I'll lead you to the infirmary room."
Tempest nodded, and Callas went inside the ship, followed closely by Tempest and Constantine.
"Where did you go? Tempest? I had the Spina di Rosula close off every exit in Poisson, but you just disappeared without a trace."
Callas questions him.
"It's a long story, Sir Callas."
Tempest began, his tone earnest.
"In short, I was kidnapped by someone. I had to go along with it because she was blackmailing me. I promise I will explain everything in detail tomorrow."
Callas stopped in his tracks and looked at him.
"I see, I expect you to explain everything tomorrow to me in every detail, Tempest."
Callas said to him, his single eye locking at Tempest's golden eyes.
"Yes sir."
Tempest answered, and Callas nodded in response.
"This is the room. You two go in first, I'll go wake up the doctor."
Tempest nodded in acknowledgment, and Callas walked off to find the doctor. Meanwhile, Tempest and Constantine entered the infirmary.
In the center of the room stood a large, intricately carved wooden examination table. Nearby, a tall, brass bed with a high, ornate headboard was set against one wall, dressed in crisp white linens with an embroidered edge.
On one side of the room, a wooden cabinet with glass doors displayed an array of medical instruments, glass bottles of various tinctures, and neatly arranged bandages and gauze. A sturdy wooden desk, cluttered with papers, a few old medical journals, and a brass oil lamp, occupied a corner of the room.
"Where did you get shot at? Young Master?"
Constantine asked him.
"Since it's just the two of us here, I can explain how I got these wounds."
Tempest said while he sat down on a chair.
"I was kidnapped by the same person I encountered at the court when my father brought me. During the entire trip to the court, I was blindfolded, so I couldn't see where they took me. However, I can tell you that the place I was brought to was somewhere within the court."
Tempest explained, and Constantine listened intently, nodding as he absorbed the details. Tempest then continued.
"When my blindfold was taken off, I came face to face with the Knave, Crucabena, and again she tried to convince me to join the Fatui, of course, I declined, but she wasn't letting me off that easily... She proposed we play a little game called, Snezhnayan Roulette."
Constantine's eyes widened at the mention of Snezhnayan Roulette, he seemed familiar with the game.
"Are you familiar with the game?"
Tempest asked Constantine.
"I do, I played it once or twice. You won?"
"I did, and I got shot four times. Crucabena promised that she wouldn't say a word if I won. I hope she keeps her word. She also said that if I won, she would reveal what my Father is planning, but I fainted because the adrenaline had stopped pumping..."
Tempest gritted his teeth, as he remembered Crucabena had just thrown him out of the place when he lost consciousness.
"Hm, the good thing is you're still alive, Young Master."
Constantine said.
"Thanks to Lady Furina..."
Tempest said, and after a short while, Callas arrived with the doctor in tow. The doctor directed Tempest to lie down on the examination table. With a practiced hand, the doctor administered an injection, and the medication took effect swiftly. Tempest felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him, his eyes growing heavy. Within moments, he succumbed to the effects of the drug, falling into a deep sleep.
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"Where am I? Am I dreaming?"
Tempest muttered to himself as he glanced around his surroundings. He found himself in a dimly lit crypt, the walls lined with grand, foreboding statues. Each coffin in the long, shadowy hallway was adorned with a towering figure carved into stone, their stern faces casting eerie shadows across the crypt's cold, dusty floors. The atmosphere was thick with the weight of ancient history, and a chilling silence filled the air.
"This is the Crypt of Stormwind... Where the Proudmoores were buried... And those statues... Paladins..."
Tempest muttered to himself, his voice echoing softly in the oppressive silence. Suddenly, he felt a lantern materialize in his hand, its faint glow casting wavering shadows on the stone walls. The lantern seemed to beckon him forward, its light gently guiding him deeper into the crypt.
"Paladins... They say their power is equivalent to that of the gods... Ra granted this power to the Proudmoores thousands of years ago... It was the ultimate form of power of the sun the Proudmoores once possessed."
Tempest muttered to himself as he ventured deeper into the crypt, his footsteps reverberating off the cold stone walls. Every so often, he cast a glance at the imposing statues that lined the crypt.
"Every statue here in the crypt was once a wielder of Ra's power during their lifetime, back in the era of Egeria's reign."
"And of course, that power was lost 500 years ago. House Proudmoore blamed Focalors for the loss of Ra's power and for claiming the title of Hydro Archon. It's quite ridiculous, really."
Tempest finally reached the end of the crypt, where the final statue and a coffin awaited him. The coffin was adorned with intricate carvings, and three ancient tablets lay resting atop it.
"Lugarzargous, the first Proudmoore who wieled Ra's power... My great ancestor."
Tempest muttered to himself, he then picked up one of the tablets in the coffin.
"The three commandments of Ra... The conditions to use his power."
Tempest muttered to himself as he carefully examined the words etched into the tablets.
"Thou shalt use my power solely for the benefit of Fontaine."
"Thou shalt be my eyes for the Hydro Archon."
"Thou shalt serve the Hydro Archon forever and never turn thy back."
Tempest read tablets one by one.
"It's clearly stated here that one must never turn their back on the Hydro Archon. And yet, my family did exactly that. It's no wonder we lost Ra's power."
Tempest muttered to himself, he put back the tables on the coffin gently.
"You are worthy."
Tempest's eyes widened, and his body jolted in shock as he heard an otherworldly voice. He swiftly turned around to see a glowing ball of light hovering behind him.
"Ra..."