The Iudex's day off

Chapter 62 - Fury and Ache

3rd Person POV

It was Clorinde and Navia who first found their archon, collapsed to the ground on her knees, her broken cries now long too weak to be heard by the rest of Fontaine.

 "Lady Furina? Lady Furina!"

 No matter how they called out for her, the god was just too out of it to even acknowledge their presence.

 And then suddenly, she stood up.

 "I have to go back and get rid of the letter... No one should know... He will come back for sure... No one needs to know..."

 She continued to mumble as she walked towards Palais Mermonia.

 The two women followed after her in silence, not daring to disturb her.

 Furina's mind was too muddled for her to think properly.

 If not, she would not have walked back.

 Should wouldn't have picked up the letter in front of the two's eyes, letting them get a glance at it.

 "He retired...?"

 Nevia's voice was full of shock, but it was soft.

 A quiet sound, barely spoken at all.

 But Furina heard it.

 It was this that snapped her out of her daze.

 She looked at the letter once more and staggered. Clorinde was barely fast enough to catch her before she fell.

 "Navia!"

 "Sorry..."

 Navia hadn't meant to do that and Clorinde knew it. Still...

 "Lady Furina? Lady Furina. Lady Furina!"

 She called out to her once, twice, and finally, the third time the archon reacted.

 "Ah... My apologies... What are you two doing here?"

 "We- We found you on the ground outside, Lady Furina. We followed you back here when you suddenly jumped up and started walking."

 "You did, didn't you..."

 "Monsieur Neuvillette-"

 "He's just having a bad day. He'll be back soon enough."

 Or so she hoped.

 Bus he couldn't say that.

 She would go look for him.

 Surely she had to find him eventually.

 There are only so many places within Fontaine for him to hide.

 "You say that he's having a bad day, but I don't think it is necessary for me to point out that it is not raining, Lady Furina." Clorinde spoke up.

 "Right. That one problem-"

 The archon stopped mid-sentence.

 "What the hell does the rain have to do with Neuvillette having a bad day?"

 Clorinde and Navia locked eyes before turning back to the archon.

 "It is quite obvious that Monsieur Neuvillette is the hydro dragon from the legends."

 "He doesn't do much to hide that he is not human and knocking a harbinger unconscious without breaking a sweat doesn't help his cause either." Navia followed up.

 "Navia and I have also noticed that every time I find Monsieur Neuvillette in a... bad mood, it always rains. There is also the matter from last time."