Love and Betrayal | Wriolette

Chapter 3: Precious artifacts

It had been a couple of days since their last interaction, and they hadn't talked since. But they both couldn't stop thinking about each other. It was just tea, but was it really? It just felt so significant to the both of them, after barely interacting with anyone for weeks, it wasn't "just tea". But Wriothesley hadn't left the fortress since, and Neuvillette hadn't done much either. And with Neuvillette cheered up, the weather had gone back to normal. Their lives were at bay. Neuvillette was attending to his usual duties as the Iudex and Cheif Justice of Fontaine, and Wriothesley had gone back to his normal, boring work and documents. Or so he thought.

"Duke! Sir! There's been an incident!" The several guards yelled as they barged into the Duke's office. "What? Oh god not again.." He said. What could it be this time? "Alright, calm down and tell me what happened." He said in a clearly annoyed tone, narrowing his eyes.

"We honestly don't know how, but one of the fatuus (a fatuus is someone who is part of the fatui) that we captured got out! And one of our most dangerous.." One of the guards blurted out, in a shaky and nervous tone.

"WHAT? God.. I TOLD you that they were dangerous! I should've known he was capable of these things.. it was already a hard fight to get him in here!" The Duke yelled, clearly very irritated. How could they let this happen! And he was finally getting some time off he though..

"H-He knocked out all of the guards on patrol.. we really don't know how!" The guards said in an uncertain tone. "Don't worry sir, we'll rile up a group of guards and bring them out, we know his location! He's going back to his base camp!" One of the other guards blurted out.

"No.. No. You have done enough. I need to handle this myself." Wriothesley said, with a dark tone and expression, tightening his gloves. "Provide me with the location. I'm heading out now." He yelled. The guards immediately rushed over to him, giving the location and other information, and the Duke left right away.

"That worthless piece of crap.." He whispered under his breath as he made his way to the location. He was put in the fortress for stealing precious artifacts, and if the guards were more efficient, maybe they could have moved the artifacts out of the fatui base and back to where they were supposed to be before he escaped! 

But as the Duke was exiting Fontaine, making his way towards the fatui camp, he happened to bump into someone, falling down as his mind was filled with anger. (guess who hhaaejrjfhf)

"Ow- Hey! Watch where your going nex-" He said with a shout, stopping as he looked up to see a concerned face.

"Oh. Neuvillette." He said as his face went red with embarrassment. He wouldn't have been so annoyed if he knew it was him.. and he felt pretty stupid for getting mad out of no where. "Ah.. Sorry about that, I'm just a little stressed out at the moment. I didn't mean to snap at you." He said as he quickly got up.

"No need to apologize, I'm at fault there. I wasn't exactly watching where I was going either.." The Iudex said with a chuckle. "What seems to be stressing you out..?" Neuvillette said. By the look on the Duke's face, it wasn't something small that was bothering him. 

"Right. One of those fatui imbecile's somehow managed to knock out all of the guard's and escape.. and now I'm stuck dealing with it." Wriothesley said in a clearly irritated tone. Not that he didn't like talking to Neuvillette, but he really needed to get going. "Listen, I've gotta get there before he has time to pull some stupid trick, but uh.. I'll see you later?" He said.

"Ah, right. Need a hand? I'm free at the moment." The Iudex said politely. Clearly, Wriothesley was irritated and stressed with the whole situation, and he didn't want anything bad happening to him.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine." Wriothesley said as he turned around and continued on his way. "I'll see ya" He said as he ran off towards the outside of the city, waving his hand. He'd be fine.. it's one stupid fatuus. Why would he need any help? Not that he was the strongest guy around, but he could definitely put up a fight. And so, Neuvillette continued on his walk, watching the Duke as he made his way outside Fontaine.

-

"That scum should be around here.." He said to himself. Since he was always alone in the fortress, he made quite the habit of talking to himself. But as he continued to look around, he felt a rock hit him in the back. And to his surprise, when he turned around, it wasn't just that one half-wit fatui who was behind him. 

Shit.

As he turned around, he saw at least 10, probably more fatuus in fighting stance, and the idiot who had escaped behind everyone. 

"Well, if it isn't the Duke. You know, I expected you to come after me, don't think I'm dumb or weak enough to come unprepared." The fatuus said in a cold tone, standing on the boxes of what seemed to be the stolen artifacts. "It was easier than I thought it would be to wipe out the guards, I got out with ease." The fatuus exclaimed with a large smirk on his face.

"Why don't you shut your mouth and hand over the artifacts." The Duke said, clearly on his last nerve. Who did that piece of shit think he was?

"Alright, go on Duke. Come here and take 'em." The fatuus said with a snicker as he got into fighting stance, along with the other skirmishers and treasure hoarders alike. 

"Fine.. I guess we're doing this the hard way then." Wriothesley said as he pulled up his gloves. "Shouldn't be much of a challenge." He whispered under his breath. He yelled as he charged at his opponents, punching each one with his icy attacks, each one hitting the floor faster then the head fatuus could imagine. Not even two minutes later, and almost everyone was wiped out. "Time for you now." He said with a smirk as he walked up to the main fatuus, the one who had escaped earlier. Confident as ever, he used the rest of his energy to charge up his elemental burst. But as he was about to attack, he saw in the corner of his eye both an electro and pyro treasure hoarder, throwing their elemental charged attacks at him, causing an overload explosion making the Duke go flying, hitting the ground hard. 

"Ah.." The Duke mumbled as his ears rang loudly, trying to keep himself awake as he watched with blurry eyes from afar as the head fatuus and the other treasure hoarders packed up the artifacts. He felt himself growing colder and he was using every last bit of energy to try and keep his eyes from shutting, tired as ever and eyes going more blurry. But as he was about to give in and pass out, he saw a blue figure walking up to the fatuus, and suddenly throwing quick attacks and using elemental powers that seemed to be hydro, ending the enemies in seconds. And as he watched the blue figure walk towards him, trying to make out who it could be, his eyes gave in, and his tired body was out.