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The Chief Alchemist of Mondstandt was a rather famous young man.
Albedo was said to have come out of nowhere, yet quickly established himself as an incredibly talented and knowledgeable individual in Mondstadt city, and his exploits landed him his prestigious role within the Knights of Favonius. There, he worked tirelessly with the knights and fellow alchemists, even gaining some assistants under his own personal division, and contributed much to the good of the city with his amazing inventions and ideas. Many loved and admired him, believing him to be no less than an extraordinary young man.
However, that was not all Albedo was known for. Though fewer in number, some of the citizens suspected that Albedo had a few dark secrets hidden in his shadows. After all, whenever he was not working in Mondstadt, he was hidden away in the cold of Dragonspine, and who knew what kinds of strange experiments he worked on up there? Those who subscribed to these rumours believed his alchemy was something...a little more sinister in nature. After all, should it really be possible for mere alchemy to change the form of a living creature?
Despite all of this, Albedo himself cared little for any of the rumours surrounding him, regardless of how good or bad they were. He was certainly aware of the tales people told of him, but he chose to ignore them all, content to just go through life as he saw fit.
And if people one day decided that they no longer trusted him, well, he was already prepared to accept his fate, whatever it may be. He was already well-aware of the nature of his abilities.
One day, while returning to Mondstadt from a trip to Liyue, Albedo came across a large bird, resembling a common heron but somehow different, badly injured at the base of a small hill. Both of its wings seemed broken, and its side was bleeding quite badly. Surely, if it was left out there alone, it would die very quickly. Feeling sorry for the poor creature, Albedo wrapped the unconscious animal up in his own coat then carefully carried it to his lab in Dragonspine. Not quite the ideal location for a bird, but it was closer and quieter than the city of the free. So at his lab, Albedo cared for the injured bird as well as he could, keeping it warm and tending to its wounds.
The bird awoke some time into the night, and it clearly panicked upon realising it was in unfamiliar territory, but was fortunately too weak to escape into the cold and bitter wilderness. Albedo had been able to easily subdue it, and spoke to it softly with some gentle strokes along its bandaged wings.
“Please, just wait a little bit,” he said to the bird, who looked at him defensively with its intelligent golden eyes, “I don’t intend to capture you and keep you here, you will be free as soon as you’ve been healed, I promise.”
Strangely, the bird seemed to understand his words, and it eventually calmed down, albeit seemingly begrudgingly. Albedo was amused at the creature’s surprisingly animated nature, but spoke no more as he left the bird alone to rest while he cleaned up a bit of the mess produced in its panic earlier. The bird watched him as it lay on Albedo’s own bed, tucked under a soft blanket, eyes shining curiously.
The days passed slowly, with Albedo deciding to remain in Dragonspine to take care of the bird for as long as he needed to, worried that something might happen to it without his supervision, only leaving the lab to fetch food and other supplies from the base camp just outside the snowy area. He treated the bird’s injuries daily, and even went as far as to sleep on the floor of his lab to let the bird feel more comfortable in his bed. He knew his delayed return to Mondstadt would raise some questions, but for the time being, his little companion took priority.
The bird eventually made a full recovery within half a month, which was a lot sooner than Albedo had initially expected. But he was smiling fondly when he removed the last of the bandages, and the bird was finally able to stretch its wings and go for a short test flight outside his lab when the weather was clear. The bird circled the area above Albedo’s lab, and Albedo could not help but feel a sense of pride and relief to see the majestic creature in the skies where it belonged. It landed on a tree branch momentarily, where it gave a final nod towards Albedo before taking off, two of its feathers fluttering down towards the alchemist as it made its departure. Albedo held out his hands, and the feathers fell into them perfectly. He smiled to himself again. He would miss his temporary companion.
Returning to Mondstadt was a little bit stressful, even for Albedo. To the knights, his short trip to Liyue had been extended without notice, and they were understandably unhappy about it. Even the Acting Grandmaster, who was known for her gentle and understanding nature, was unable to overlook it. Albedo was required to submit a detailed report on what he had been doing, and was strictly required to remain in Mondstadt for a while to make up for lost time. They all asked him the reason for his absence, but Albedo did not want to tell. He knew it was ridiculous, and it made him look rather suspicious, but something about the bird felt special, and he did not want to share that with the rest of the world.
Of course, this sparked new rumours about him. Some said he had a secret lover in Liyue, others saying he was working on questionable and dangerous experiments, and the more distrustful went as far as to suggest he was conspiring something against Mondstadt. None of these rumours had any evidence to back them up, so as usual Albedo ignored them when he could. Luckily, the situation did not get out of hand, but those around him did keep trying to get some answers out of him for a while. When he got particularly frustrated, Albedo would look upon the two feathers left behind by the bird, and he would feel a sense of calm. It was enough. Those days in Dragonspine together, it was their little secret.
Perhaps Albedo was simply more sentimental than he cared to admit.
Eventually, Albedo was finally allowed to leave the city, and the first thing he did was to return to his lab in Dragonspine, where he was met with an unexpected sight. A young man of Liyue was there, sleeping on the floor beside a warm fire. His hair was the colour of jade, and he wore expensive, traditional Liyue-style clothing under a large, warm coat. Albedo was surprised of course, and wondered if the man was a traveller who had lost his way in the mountains. But then he noticed how tidy his lab seemed at first glance, as if someone had been cleaning the lab while he was gone, and so Albedo went to wake the stranger up to ask him some questions.
The stranger had the most beautiful golden eyes Albedo had ever seen, and they stared deep into Albedo’s own as he awoke. For a brief moment, all Albedo could do was simply stare, but the stranger broke his gaze and stood up to greet him properly. He introduced himself as Xiao, and told Albedo that he was a demon hunter from Liyue, supposedly searching for a spiritual beast on Dragonspine, and had taken refuge in the lab. He had assumed it was abandoned, but kept it clean just in case. Albedo raised an eyebrow at that, but he told Xiao that it was alright, and that Xiao was welcome to continue staying there for the remainder of his time on the cold mountains. Xiao expressed his gratitude, hands together in front of him as he gave a bow, and took Albedo up on the offer. In return, Xiao offered to protect Albedo whenever he needed, asking Albedo to simply call his name should danger arise. Albedo only smiled at him.
So just like that, Albedo would see Xiao at the lab whenever he went back to Dragonspine every few days, sometimes even staying with him through the night. Sometimes Xiao would be returning late from a supposed hunt, and other times he would be sleeping by the fire or on the bed, looking rather peaceful. Xiao would keep the lab tidy when Albedo was not present, and would sometimes bring back meats and plants from his hunting. On those days, they would share a delicious meal together by the fire, and slowly make conversation if they felt like it. If they preferred to remain in peaceful silence, Albedo would take to sketching as Xiao simply rested. Quite a few of those sketches were of Xiao, but Albedo felt that he could never quite capture the beauty of the other man on his canvas. He found that he greatly enjoyed Xiao's company, feeling a sense of calm companionship, and perhaps a little more, with Xiao by his side.
At one point, Xiao caught sight of the two feathers Albedo kept by his side carefully, and asked them what they were. Albedo smiled at him, holding the feathers out towards him in a teasing manner, telling Xiao that it was a special secret of his. Xiao was confused, but did not question it.
One day, Albedo asked if Xiao would like to visit Mondstadt city with him, for the beloved Windblume Festival would soon grace the city streets. Xiao was hesitant at first, but ended up agreeing to go, as long as he did not get caught up in the crowds. So the two descended the mountains and Xiao saw the city for the first time, as the people busied themselves getting ready for the festival. Albedo showed Xiao around, taking him to try the local cuisine, and showing him the buildings and scenery so different from the nation of Liyue. Seeing Xiao’s amazed yet confused reactions was extremely amusing.
Of course, the two walking around the city together did not go unnoticed, and many who believed in the rumours of Albedo having a secret lover from Liyue immediately approached them to find out more. Fortunately, they were able to escape the interrogations without confirming or denying anything, and found some peace in the upper floors of the local tavern.
There, Albedo laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, and Xiao could not help but join in.
There, Xiao told Albedo he was glad he agreed to descend the mountain with him, and that he was glad to have met Albedo.
There, Albedo smiled and took Xiao’s hand in his, and told Xiao he was glad to have found him that day.
When the sun began to set, Xiao was ready to head back to Dragonspine alone, and Albedo unfortunately still had some work to finish. However, he promised to meet Xiao that night, wanting to spend more time together, so he asked Xiao to wait for him. Xiao agreed, holding Albedo’s hands as he reminded Albedo of his promise to protect him. He asked again that if Albedo needed his help on the way up, he needed only to speak Xiao’s name. Albedo agreed, and they reluctantly parted for the time being. Albedo finished his work as soon as he could, dodging a few questions from his fellow knights as he did, before he was finally able to leave.
As he walked through the gates, however, Albedo paused, seeing a dandelion with most of its seeds already blown away by the winds. He knelt down next to it, the Windblume traditions in mind as he plucked the little flower, twirling it gently between his fingers.
The knights guarding the gates were changing their shifts in a moment. They would see nothing. But they were not the only ones watching.
Albedo soon arrived at the base of Dragonspine, a clear alchemy bottle in his hands, protecting a single beautiful, blooming Qingxin flower from the cold winds. One of the bird’s feathers was tied around the neck of the bottle, its soft green hue complimenting the flower nicely. The other was tied around his wrist. The sun had almost fully set, and the winds were blowing rather strongly, so Albedo hoped he would be able to reach the lab quickly, just in case a snowstorm hit. So he hurried forward, so excited to see Xiao and present him with the flower, that he never noticed the cloaked man following him until it was too late.
The ambush happened so quickly, Albedo almost did not react in time. He managed to dodge the first swing of the sword, but in his shock the bottle holding the flower fell from his hands into the snow. The string holding the feather to the bottle snapped off as the glass shattered, and the feather itself was instantly snatched up by the unforgiving winds.
Albedo was so horrified by the thought of losing it that he entirely forgot about his attacker, which proved to be a deadly mistake. The man’s sword plunged into Albedo’s back, and the feather slipped out of his grasp into the skies as his body collapsed into the snow next to the flower. His blood stained the snow a deep, gruesome red, and any warmth he had was quickly being drained away. Still he reached out in the direction of the feather, long gone by that point, as his cowardly attacker fled the scene, leaving Albedo alone to die in the cold of the night.
The tears he shed froze instantly on his cheeks, his body unable to move. Despair filled his heart as its beating slowed. He pulled his hand back, touching the remaining feather tied at his wrist, weakly whispering a single word.
“Xiao…”
For a second, his vision went dark, but when it returned, Xiao was suddenly there, kneeling next to him with an expression of pure anguish upon his face. There were tears falling from his golden eyes, as he gingerly laid his warm hands on Albedo’s face.
“I’m sorry,” - his voice was shaky and broken - “I didn’t protect you. I should have been here, I...”
Albedo could not speak, he was running out of energy, and he needed to do something more important, with Xiao having arrived by his side. With whatever little strength he had left, he pulled his hand up, holding out the flower and the remaining feather to Xiao. Xiao seemed confused for a moment, as he took the gifts Albedo presented him. Albedo managed the faintest ghost of a smile, weakly pointing at the feather in particular. At once, Xiao understood, and fresh tears shone in his eyes.
“You already knew.” It was not a question. Albedo did know. How could he not, after seeing those beautiful eyes watching him as carefully as they did oh so long ago? From the moment Xiao appeared in the lab, Albedo had known who he truly was.
Albedo watched as Xiao’s human form disappeared in a gust of wind, and the bird he had saved all that time ago lay in his place, glowing with magic beyond Albedo’s understanding. Xiao leaned down and laid his head besides Albedo’s, and all of a sudden a sense of calm washed over Albedo despite his situation. He closed his eyes, ready to face his fate, satisfied just to have Xiao by his side.
But Xiao was not so ready to do the same.
“Please forgive me,” Xiao’s voice said softly, sounding very different as he nuzzled Albedo’s cheek once more, “Now that you know, I...I cannot stay. But at the very least, please, allow me to finally repay the debt I owe you for saving my life. Thank you...for everything you have done for me.”
A warmth unlike any other Albedo had ever felt before engulfed his senses, the feeling of Xiao’s large wings wrapping around him in a sorrowful embrace as the last of his consciousness faded out.
It was raining heavily over Mondstadt city. The grey skies created a solemn mood reflective of the tension felt by the people. Once again, the locals were gossiping about Albedo, but this time, the knights were actively doing what they could to shut the rumours down. The Acting Grandmaster issued an official order to quell any rumours without evidence, which some of the locals opposed to, but for the most part, the people agreed it was for the best, given what had happened.
Albedo looked out blankly at the gloomy weather as he sat up in his bed in the Knights Headquarters’s infirmary, holding onto a mug of coffee. It had been over a week since they found him in the snow, close to death with two shimmering feathers and a wilted Qingxin flower beside him. He had recovered at an alarmingly fast rate, according to the doctors, but he had not spoken a word to anyone since waking up. The knights had managed to arrest his attacker, who had been reported by the owner of the local tavern after speaking of his crime to his “friends”, who had not even tried to defend him. But Albedo cared not for that.
He touched the feathers he wore around his neck, still shimmering and warm with whatever was left of Xiao’s magic. He could still feel Xiao’s energy with him, but his form, his consciousness...Xiao had given it all up to save Albedo’s life, all because Albedo could not leave the injured bird alone to die back then. And Albedo never got the chance to tell Xiao how he felt about him.
Albedo had his formal letter of resignation written out. He would pass it on to the Acting Grandmaster the day he was discharged. He was not sure what he would do after leaving the Knights of Favonius, but his destination was Liyue. There, he hoped he would be able to learn more about just who Xiao really was, and to know more about the truth of the person who gave him the happiest days of his life.
Perhaps, one day, he will be able to hear the voice of his beloved companion once more.