You will always find me

Dear Mr. Zhongli, I was framed and ended up in Fontaine Prison indefinitely. Even the Traveler couldn't save me. Everyone here is against me. I feel like I can't be here anymore. Please help, I know you can help me. In return I am ready to give anything. Your devoted friend, Tartaglia Zhongli squeezed the letter with his hand. He told Tartaglia that Fatui was not the place for him. Ajax deserves better. Zhongli even offered to help him so that he could safely leave the organization and settle in Liyue under a new name. But Tartaglia refused, saying that he believed in the Queen’s work and wanted not only to see its completion, but also to take part in the historical moment. “How young and stupid he is,” thought Zhongli, remembering himself at the dawn of Liyue. Back then he was more the God of War and Stupidity than the Archon of Stone and Contracts. Morax also passionately pursued his goals, forgetting about the consequences. Well, who will he be if he doesn’t help Ajax? *** Immediately upon arriving in Fontaine, Zhongli made an appointment with the Head of the Court as the official representative of Qixing. There was no confirmation of this; we could only hope for their gullibility. Morax didn't tell anyone about the trip, including Ningguang and Hu Tao. He didn't want anyone to know about his affairs with Tartaglia. Rex Lapiz hasn't been to Fontaine for centuries. A lot has changed since then. The buildings have become taller, the streets are cleaner, and the people’s dresses became more detailed than ever. Only waterfalls and the endless sea remained in place. The court administration responded surprisingly quickly to the request for an audience. “This is what happens when a Traveler visits a region,” Zhongli chuckled to himself. There was some truth in this, since in light of recent events, Neuvilette actually began to devote more time to communicating with people. The chief judge continued to feel guilty about what had happened, but could not do anything about it. Zhongli entered Neuvilette's spacious, well-lit office. Morax saw the Dragon of Fontaine when he was just born, so the judge could not recognize him as the Archon. — Welcome to Fontaine. I am Neuvillette, Chief Justice of Fontaine. I am at your service, mister? —  Mister Zhongli. Representative Qixing. Madam Ningguang couldn't come herself, so I came instead. — I heard about your organization, Mr. Zhongli. How can I help you since you have travelled such a long way? — You see, we got news that recently Tartaglia, the eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, had been imprisoned under extremely unusual conditions. — Your information is correct, Mr. Zhongli. For the first time in the history of the Fontaine Court, my verdict differed from the decision of Justice itself, - Neuvilette decided not to hide the details, since the visitor already knew everything. — And it was precisely because of the machine’s decision that you changed your verdict? Despite all the evidence against the defendant's guilt? —  Exactly. Even the Chief Justice of Fontaine can make mistakes, but the court itself never can. This is laid down in the charter, and I am obliged to follow it. — Follow the regulations contrary to logic? — Zhongli bit his tongue before saying more rudeness. His feelings for Tartaglia force him to make hasty decisions. —  May be so. But may I ask why Qixing is particularly interested in one of the Fatui Harbingers? As far as I know, he is a citizen of Snezhnaya. —  You are right, Monsieur Neuvillette. However, Tartaglia was also in Liyue. His actions led to irreversible consequences, and he must be punished. But now he's in prison in another country, for a crime he didn't commit. —  Why are you so sure of this? Do you know each other personally? — Well, I can’t vouch for his every action, but the fact remains that Tartaglia is only guilty of Liyue and Qixing. Therefore, he must be punished according to our laws. —  Your point of view is clear to me. As far as I know, the events in Liyue that you just described happened quite a long time ago. Why did Qixing remember the Harbinger only now? — Tartaglia was in custody, but fled the country. He probably got help from the rest of the Fatui. It doesn't matter when justice happens, as long as it happens. —  I see. But unfortunately, I can't help you with anything. All claims should have been presented during the trial, but it was completed and the case is considered closed. — Well, I understand. Can I ask you one last favour? — Yes? — Can I take Tartaglia’s testimony and check his condition in prison for Qixing’s reporting? — I think it is possible to organize this accompanied by guards. Although this is not necessary. Inmates at Fontaine Prison are always safe. — I’d prefer to see this for myself. Thank you for your help, Monsieur Neuvilette. “This Mr. Zhongli is behaving suspiciously. Since when is Qixing interested in Fontaine’s justice? He should be closely watched,” — Neuvilette thought. “Well, the Fontaine Dragon has become smarter. I knew that things couldn’t be that easy. I’ll have to move on to the next part of the plan,” — Zhong Li decided in turn. A few days later, the prison administration actually organized a visit to the prisoner. The underwater prison consisted of several buildings and went deep down. It is impossible to escape from it, unless... Zhongli knew where this was going, but he was ready. Liyue's first contract stated that each resident would be under the protection of his own Archon. Of course, Tartaglia was not a citizen of Liyue, but who would save him then? Tsaritsa took no action. “The main thing is not to harm innocent people,” Zhongli thought as he was led through endless damp corridors. He lost count of how many times they went down in a cast-iron elevator that resembled a coffin. Each sector of the prison was separated by iron gates. There were human and robot guards. An eternity passed until they finally reached the farthest chamber, separated by several shutters at once. — Thank you, I can handle the rest myself, — Morax said as politely as possible. As expected, the guards nodded but remained at their post. One of the guards let him through the last door. Zhongli found himself in a dark, cold room. An overturned table lay in the middle of the room, water dripping from the ceiling. And Tartaglia sat on the rumpled bed. He bent over and looked at the floor, digging his fingers into his red hair. Their fieriness disappeared somewhere due to the grayness of the atmosphere. Hearing someone's steps, Tartaglia did not even raise his head. — Well, long time no see, my old friend, — Zhongli drawled. His low voice reverberated off the empty walls and struck the vibration straight into Ajax's heart. — You... You came for me! - he exclaimed, finally raising his eyes, full of tears. His freckles blended into his pale skin, his cheekbones became sharp, and there were dark circles under his faded blue eyes. Seeing such a sight, Zhongli's heart sank. He wanted to hug him, hold him close and tell him that everything would be okay. What did they do to him in such a short time? Is this all just because he's from the Fatui? — We’re being watched, — Zhongli whispered and came as close as possible. He sat down next to him on the bed and quietly told him the plan. Tartaglia trembled from the hot breath near his ear, but listened carefully. — ...Thank you for giving your testimony, Mr. Tartaglia, — Zhongli said loudly, leaving the cell. — My work is finished here, thank you, — Morax said to the guard. He entered the cell to check the convict for the presence of objects. But there was no one on the bed. He turned around and received a sharp hit to the head from Tartaglia, who was hiding behind the door. The guards standing outside heard a noise. They ran towards the cell, but Zhongli blocked their path. They hesitated for a second, but still rushed into battle. Zhongli placed a geo-pillar that knocked them down, took Tartaglia by the hand, and they ran away from the narrow corridor. Turning the corner, they tried to walk calmly so as not to arouse suspicion. This worked until the guards discovered the convict was missing and a signal rang out throughout the prison. Zhongli rushed into the elevator with Tartaglia and pressed the up button. The slow ride in the elevator felt more intense than being chased while the alarm sounded. The elevator doors opened and Zhongli and Tartaglia saw a group of robotic guards standing in front of them. Tartaglia regretted that he had neither the Hydro Vision nor a weapon with him. All that remained was not to get in the way of Zhongli’s battle. Morax jumped forward and created a shield. The robots' swords couldn't even scratch the translucent walls. Zhongli held Tartaglia's palm with one hand and supported the shield with the other. They walked slowly, gradually fighting the onslaught of the guards. — Now we must run quickly, — Zhongli whispered to Tartaglia. Morax abruptly withdrew his hand, the shield disintegrated into hundreds of yellow hieroglyphs, and they rushed forward. Zhongli created another geo-column and cleared the way with a shock wave. They practically fell into the next elevator. The iron doors jammed the sword of one of the guards. Zhongli, with some difficulty, unclenched them and handed the blade to Tartaglia. Top floor. The guards were waiting for them again, but this time they had more time to prepare. A shield and surprising luck are no longer enough here. Arrows flew at them like a hail, but Tartaglia managed to fight them off with his sword. — Give up! You are in the minority! — the guard commander shouted. All possible weapons were indeed aimed at them. Zhongli closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. They were not going to be killed unless they offered further resistance. — Mister Zhongli! What will we do next? — Tartaglia asked in fear and panic. But Zhongli still stood silently. — Surrender, throw away your weapons and the Vision! Still silence. The guard commander could wait no longer and walked forward, holding his weapon at the ready. Suddenly the ground beneath him began to shake. Pebbles and grains of sand began to bounce on the floor. The vibration became stronger and stronger. The crack at the top, from which sunlight barely broke through, darkened. Tartaglia pressed himself against the savior's back, seeing a bright yellow light. The meteorite crashed through the ceiling, knocked down the walls and turned all enemies to stone. They found themselves alone in the middle of a pit with stone sculptures. The upper part of the prison was destroyed, and streams of sea water poured out from all sides. — Mr. Zhongli... — Tartaglia stammered. — No, they are not dead, they are just petrified, — said the Archon, — We need to get out. They climbed the remaining pieces of stairs and lifts using geo-columns. For the first time, Tartaglia felt fear of Morax's power, but this earned him even more respect. They went outside and Tartaglia saw sunlight for the first time in weeks.