Chapter Text
The cool blue hourglass sat on the desk, several other books and objects being pushed elsewhere for the object.
To the average observer, it simply looked like a normal blizzard strayer hourglass, however, anyone with a vision would tell you that is not the case.
The Cryo energy almost bursting at the seams from this item was overwhelming to those who could sense it.
This is why it was put in the Chief Alchemist’s hands.
Truth be told, Albedo wasn’t quite sure how to even start with this particular project. Jean and Lisa had specifically assigned him this because of the possible danger associated. He would have to begin experiments on it soon, but having a Geo vision would not help on channeling Cryo energy.
His eyebrows furrowed, finger absent-mindedly ran over the smooth glass, the strange liquid within cooling his thumb.
“Albedo!”, a high-pitched voice rang out against the winds, and the alchemist is snapped out of his thoughts. The familiar sight of the Traveler and Paimon at the entrance to Albedo’s camp confused the light-haired vision holder.
“Ah, Traveler, Paimon. I didn’t expect you’d visit,” Albedo said, putting down the hourglass.
“Actually, Kathryn sent us here on a commission to help you! She said something about a strange artifact?” Paimon drifted over towards the strange object.
The Traveler’s eyes widen, even though they were next to a fire.. they began to shiver.
“That makes sense, you’ll be of great help,” the alchemist nods, hand coming up to his chin in thought. “I’d like to extract some of the liquid from inside the hourglass, but it is a risky procedure,” he picks up the artifact, flipping it to let the fluid stream down into the lower half.
“I am able to do it on my own, but I fear the elemental energy from such an activity would attract some enemies, which I wouldn’t be able to deal with without accidentally breaking the artifact..” the chief alchemist holds the item up, taking a closer look at the swirling contents, “I’ll need you to fend them off while I work.”
The blonde nods, “No problem,” they say, stepping just a bit farther outside the camp.
Albedo gets to work, carefully fracturing a small piece of the glass to create an opening. As the piece is removed, a blast of cold air hits everyone close by, small ice crystals forming on Albedo.
He quickly snatched a test tube, gently pouring out a half-tube full. He placed the tube aside, then picking up the glass shard with tweezers. He gives pause when the liquid near the neck of the glass begins to grow in size.
It rapidly swells, before the entire top is filled and more of the thin, blue fluid is spurting out of the artifact. It flows in a never- ending steady stream before Albedo swiftly plugs it back up, using a hot piece of iron to melt the glass around the shard to seal the glass back up.
He glances back to the traveler, to find them finishing off the last of the slimes and whopperflowers.
He picked the test tube back up off the stand, only to realize it was completely full now.
Looking around, there were even some Cryo elemental particles floating aimlessly in the air.
“Eh!? What happened in here?” Paimon exclaimed, looking around at the deep colored liquid splattered across the ground.
Albedo sat down on a stool, heart rate still a bit abnormal. “It responded strangely.. hm.. Traveler, can you take a bit of this down to Flora, and ask her to incorporate some of this into the soil while growing one of her flowers? Bring it back to me, then,” he said, handing the blonde about 1/4 of the fluid contained in the tube.
“Alright. I’ll be back,” they said, and walked out of the camp. Albedo looked back to the Hourglass, and the liquid was back to normal. His eyes narrowed.
There was nothing normal about this artifact.