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Zapolyarny Palace always felt colder when you were entering it for the first time. As the fatui's main base, a person would assume they'd invest in some kind of heating system at one point or another, and with at least two incredibly talented scientists living there one must have decided to deal with the temperature at some point. Except that just wasn't the case, and the palace remained just as cold, if not colder, than the rest of the country it was located in.
It was a suprise at first, but after a while a person just got used to it, and if it got too cold to bear they'd just throw on an extra layer or two. Besides, most of the Fatui Harbingers either weren't human or had survived conditions much worse than a Snezhnayan winter, so it was really only Pantalone who ever actually struggled with the buildings temperature, and he could throw money at whatever expensive fur coat he wanted.
The cold was only really a problem for the agents, and none of the Harbingers had ever cared about them.
"Ajax!" Ivan called from next to him, shuddering under his mask and Fatui coat. "How are you not freezing to death in here?"
Ajax shrugged, walking through the halls of Zapolyarny Palace without a care in the world. "Is it really that cold? I never noticed."
"There is something medically wrong with you." Ivan said, meaning it more than a tease than anything else.
Little did he know he was technically correct. The dark magic of the abyss pulsed through Ajax's veins, even if he hadn't directly activated his foul legacy. It was the reason he had been given up to the fatui anyways, and was probably the reason the cold didn't bother him. Ever since he'd been exposed to the harsh numbness bought by the abyss when he had been fourteen, he'd barely even registered the Snezhnayan cold that used to bother him so much. The abyss had been so much colder (how his master wore so little clothing had always been a mystery) than Sneznaya had ever been, so why should Childe care about Zapolyarny Palace.
"Maybe." Was all Ajax said, before elbowing his friend playfully. "Or maybe you're just particularly sensitive."
Ivan scoffed. "Oh shut up."
Ajax laughed, and the pair continued walking.
The thing about fatui work was that if you looked past the objectively bad parts it was actually pretty good. The work wasn't always fun, and the Harbingers they worked under were a little cruel sometimes, but apart from that it was okay. The pay was good, the dorms were comfortable and the company and camaraderie between most other agents was one of the best things Ajax had experienced in his life. Maybe it was just because he'd suffered the abyss, or because he'd been expecting so much worse when he first joined, but the Fatui was actually pretty good.
Ajax wasn't completely unhappy here, which was an achievement for him. Moments like this, strolling through the halls with people he'd call his friends and laughing about something as simple as the cold, it made it feel like his life was somewhat worth living. It hadn't felt like this in over three years.
"Agents." A voice came from behind them, that of which belonged to one of the higher ups. Not a Harbinger, but an agent directly beneath them. "Are either of you Ajax?"
Ajax and Ivan turned around simultaneously, bowing respectfully, before Ajax took a step forward. "I'm Ajax, sir."
The man gave him a once over, before nodding approvingly. "Lord Pulcinella wants to meet with you. Please head to his office immediately."
"Yes sir."
The man nodded once more and walked away, back in the direction he came. Once he had turned the corner and was out of earshot, Ivan turned to Ajax, jaw on the floor. "What the fuck? Why does Lord Pulcinella want to speak with you? Ajax what did you do?!"
Ajax shrugged. "Nothing, as far as I'm aware."
"How are you so calm?" Ivan almost screamed. "That's one of the Lord Harbingers!!"
"What's the worst that can happen?" Ajax asked. "He fires me? Exiles me? I've heard Liyue is nice this time of year."
"The worst he can do is give you to the Doctor for one of his twisted experiments!"
Ajax sighed, "Then I'll tell him you say hi. I have to go, I don't want to be late to my meeting with the Rooster. I'll meet you later, Ivan."
"If you're even alive later!" Ivan shouted.
Ajax waved him off as he walked down the hall, making his way up a few flights of stairs and walking down another, much nicer, hallway. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually he made it to a large wooden door with a small window, and a fancy gold engraving on the front.
#5 Pulcinella
Ajax knocked on the door.
An old and slightly twisted voice came from inside, one that sounded like it would be heard from the creepy old man from inside one of those children's books Ajax would read to his siblings.
"Come in." It said, and so Ajax did.
He placed his hand on the doorknob, twisted it slightly, and pushed the door open, taking a single step inside the room.
It looked like any old office, a small room, no larger than someone's living room may be, with a large window at the back letting in what little sunlight Sneznaya had to offer. The walls were painted a deep grey, and the floor was made of a soft red carpet, appearing as though it had been stained with a gallon of deep red wine. There was a few lamps hanging from the wall, illuminating the office, and in the center was a large, mahogany desk, covered in neatly arranged stacks of paperwork.
And sat behind the desk, was the man most fatui agents would fear seeing. He was small, a twig of a man buried under layers of extravagant clothing, with a silver mostache and silver hair that appeared to have began disappearing a long time ago. His eyes were the colour of piss, and yet they were still the nicest part of his face, the rest being wrinkle upon wrinkle, hidden only slightly by a pair of immaculate black glasses, which only emphasised the piss colour in his eyes.
Even then, they didn't stand out the most, as the most notable part of the man was the long, thin nose protruding out of his face, every bit the nose of an old witch in a fairytale. He was a horrible sight, ugly all over, and yet held so much power in a single, harsh glance.
This was Pulcinella, number five of the Fatui Harbingers.
"Well don't just stand there boy." He said, voice grating on Ajax's ears, "Take a seat."
Ajax nodded, "Yes sir." He mumbled, and walked over to the desk, pulling out the chair opposite the man and taking a seat. From here, Ajax could make out the baby hairs sticking up from his moustache, and could smell the lingering coffee breath from what must have been an afternoon beverage.
"Do you know why I've called you here?" Pulcinella asked, leaning forward and resting his chin on the back of his two hands.
"No sir." Ajax said, lowering his head to avoid looking him in the eyes.
"Interesting." Pulcinella hummed softly, "So you have no clue why I possibly may have called you here?"
Ajax shook his head once more. "None sir. If I'm in trouble, can you please just tell me why and get it out the way."
Pulcinella looked suprised for a moment, before he leaned back and guffawed. "You're a fiesty one, aren't you?" He said, "Most agents wouldn't dare say something like that to a Harbinger. And chin up boy, you aren't in trouble."
Ajax nodded, lifting his head and meeting the Harbingers eyes, noticing how they were laced with amusement. "I simply don't understand the point of wasting time if I don't know why you called me here. It's inefficient and takes time away from my duties."
"You don't think a little conversation is pleasant?" Pulcinella asked, not unkindly. More like he was curious, like he was trying to get a better understanding of Ajax. He wasn't quite trying to sus out an enemy, but he was definitely trying to understand a competitor. Ajax didn't quite understand why.
"Aimless conversation has its purposes." Ajax admitted. "If you're at a social event, per say, or trying to make someone like you. If it's with someone further up in your work hierarchy when your on the clock, however, I don't believe it's necessary."
"You don't want me to like you?" Pulcinella looked suprised.
"Your an employer, sir. I'd prefer it if you didn't dislike me, but there's no reason for us to be best friends."
Pulcinella hummed once more. "I suppose. I suggest you start changing your attitude on small talk, however. It will be more than handy in your new career."
Ajax tilted his head. "I'm not sure I'm following, sir."
"The Tsaritsa has been thinking of expanding those who work directly beneath her." Pulcinella began, beginning to idly flick through a stack of paperwork next to him, as if looking for a specific file. "You understand that the tenth will be away for a while now, on their personal mission, correct?"
Ajax nodded. "I don't know the details, but I'm aware of it."
Pulcinella smiled, his teeth almost eerily white. "Not many do know the details, including a few of the Harbingers. But that's not really the point of this meeting. The point, is that the Tsaritsa has decided she feels...how to put this..." He paused for a moment, "Unsafe, with the new arrangement. As you know, the Harbingers are at the core a group designed to protect the Tsaritsa, and missing even just one is a huge risk to her safety."
"Because one person can be the difference between both saving a life and ending one."
"Precisely." Pulcinella agreed. "Because of this, the Tsaritsa wants to add an eleventh to the Fatui Harbingers. Someone else, someone new. She can't replace the tenth, obviously, but they aren't around anymore, so she's adding a new ranking."
"And I assume you want me to work under this new eleventh? I'm being transferred out from under you and into this new eleventh's work?"
"Oh, no, boy." Pulcinella chuckled, "You are this new eleventh."
Ajax paused for a moment, in a state of shock, before he finally forced out a quiet, "What?"
"You know why I recruited you into the elites under me, correct?" Pulcinella began. "Despite the fact that we'd never met in person, the rumours about you were simply too good to ignore. A child, merely fourteen, capable of killing monsters that would scare an army of grown men into an early grave."
"Yes, sir, thats why I was bought into the elites." Ajax confirmed. This part of the conversation was familiar territory at least.
"Well, I was talking about you with The Doctor a few weeks ago, after your mission North; he's very interested in you, by the way. Anyways, he suggested I recommend you to the Tsaritsa for the role of her new Eleventh Harbinger. So I did."
"Sir?" Ajax murmered, eyes widening once more.
"We've been keeping an eye on you over these past few weeks, and after a meeting yesterday we've decided that you are perfect for the role. You're being invited into the Fatui Harbingers as our new Eleventh Harbinger. Tartaglia."
"I expect I'm unable to turn this offer down?" Ajax asked.
Pulcinella nodded. "It's already in the paperwork. There are a few more things you need to do before we can officially give you the role, but none of those involve the opportunity to turn the role down. Not that I see why you would..."
"With all due respect, sir." Ajax began, "I don't think I'm Harbinger Material. For starters, I'm only Seventeen, and even if I wasn't I have no experience in a leadership position. I'm much better on field than I am making decisions about our country." He sighed, "I would never turn down such kindness from the Tsaritsa, but I would request you reconsider."
"Request denied." Pulcinella told him. "You have the role whether you want it or not."
Ajax nodded slowly. "Then I thank you and the Lady Tsaritsa for both of your kindness and generosity."
Pulcinella waved him off. "Oh, enough of that. You're a Harbinger now, so you need to start acting like one."
"Sir, I've yet to be officially added into the ranks."
"Yes, yes. We're working on it." He turned a few sheets of paper away from him, and slid them across the table towards Ajax. "First things first, you need to sign these. To show that you accept the Tsaritsa's offer."
Ajax skimmed the paperwork quickly, before asking: "Do you have a pen?"
Pulcinella handed him one, and Ajax quickly signed his name, turning the paperwork back to the fifth. Pulcinella looked at it, nodded once, and filed it away in a draw, before turning back to Ajax.
"That was the easy part. Tommorow, you will be taken in for a check up with Dottore. This serves two purposes. A, he'll get to meet you, which he's very excited to do, and B, he'll get to report any health conditions or other concerns to the Tsaritsa before you get added to the ranks."
"Do I have to find him myself?" Ajax asked.
Pulcinella shook his head. "He'll send an agent to fetch you when he's free. His schedule is very volatile, so not even I can predict when that may be. It'll be best you remain free until someone comes to get you."
Ajax nodded. "I understand."
"The day after, you'll get called into a meeting with Pierro. There you'll go over all your new duties and responsibilities, as well as your new privileges." Pulcinella continued. "That you'll have to arrive to yourself, but Dottore should be able to tell you the time tommorow. You may have to remind him, or else he will forget."
"And then?" Ajax asked.
"And then you'll be taken to meet the Tsaritsa, just so she can get a good look at you." Pulcinella explained. "Once that's done, you're completely free, and you'll be enlisted into the Harbinger ranks. She'll give you more details there."
Ajax nodded. He'd been doing that a lot today. "I understand. Thank you, sir."
"Of course." Pulcinella said, "And good luck Ajax." He paused, "Oh, and final thing. Don't tell anyone about this, not until your enlisted. If anyone asks what this meeting was about tell them it was confidential. Is that clear?"
"Crystal clear, sir."
"Perfect." Pulcinella sighed, "Well, I suppose you can get going then. I look forward to working with you, Tartaglia."
Tartaglia stood up, and nodded respectfully, not realising it was the last time he'd ever nod to the man before him in anything other than a greeting. "And I you, Pulcinella."
He stood up, and pushed his chair back under the desk (he wasn't a heathen, after all), before making his way back down the hall, down a few flights of stairs, and down another hall, before making his way to the courtyard.
The outside of the palace was always felt warmer when you were just leaving it. As a place located in Sneznayas outdoors, a person would assume it would be freezing, full of biting winds and harsh showers of hail and snow. And while the snow was there, the rest just wasn't the case, as the inside of Zapolyarny Palace was somehow so much colder than the outside.
It was a suprise at first, but Tartaglia would never have to experience that harsh shift ever again, because once he was draped the Harbingers iconic large, fur coat (that would be lined with internal heaters), he'd stay warm no matter his location.
"Ajax!" Ivan shouted, running up to him and forcing him into a bear hug. "I'm so glad you're okay! What was the meeting about?"
Ajax just chuckled.
"It was confidential."