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Rosaria was just returning from one of her self-imposed patrols – no Treasure Hoarders will take root in Mondstadt on her watch – when familiar voices made her pause.
– You're sure you don't need any help, Albedo? I have people to spare.
A chuckle.
– It's fine, Eula. I am just returning to my camp… – trees slightly obscured the view, but Rosaria still could see how he checked his pouch from time to time. – I'm afraid, my current experiment is better conducted with no potential victims.
– If you say so, – clearly dubious, she frowned. – I'll visit you myself later, then.
– As you wish, – he inclined his head. – May the wind guide you.
Dangerous experiment, huh?
Rosaria's eyes trailed the alchemist's figure to the edge of the woods.
She may join Eula's visit herself, then.
///
And that would've been the end of it if later that day she didn't stumble upon a different scene.
– Brother Albedo, you really-really have to go? – Klee, dejected, clung to his side, and Sucrose mirrored a pleading expression behind her.
– I'll return sooner than you notice, – Albedo conversationally smirked at the young elf. – Don't get into too much trouble in the meantime, okay?
– Klee will be good! – she quickly nodded, letting him go only to catch Sucrose's hand.
– Mister Albedo… – who, far too worried than usual, mumbled a little before blurting out:
– Be safe there!
– You too, Sucrose, – he laughed. – See you soon!
And disappeared down the stairs, leaving both of them before the Headquarters.
Neither of them noticed frowning Rosaria looking on from the plaza's edge, which was just as well.
Something didn't add up, and she would be damned if she didn't check what.
Trek to Dragonspine it was.
///
For researchers, curiosity substituted sleep, food, and sometimes health.
Albedo carefully placed rifthounds’ claws, one by one, on the table.
Traveller left two, passing by – the second would be perfect for the control group, but he already could guess that any Abyss traces were null and void there. Their purification ability was uncanny.
The only one to rival them – Albedo shook his head, exasperated, remembering the bard’s cheeky grin when he gave it – was Venti, his power still clinging to the claw in the subtle teal threads. Alchemist supposed that he could look into the source of that later, and not necessarily in the lab.
The one that Razor brought still slightly crackled with Electro, snapping at the snowflakes from time to time, and Albedo couldn’t wait to learn if it was rifthound’s or Razor’s own. He leaned to the latter, but it genuinely was anyone’s guess.
And last, there was the one that he acquired himself, and he was proud to state that he didn’t bring any elemental changes to the claw, relying solely on his sword.
Then his eyes stumbled on the sixth claw.
Albedo frowned and picked it up, looking over. On the first or even second, equipped, glance there was nothing unusual in it.
But since he didn’t know where it arrived from…
Albedo shuffled to the center of the camp to channel a bit of Khemia in it. What secrets this one would unravel, living?..
Bam!
“Experiment – complete failure,” the last thought barely found its way to his failing consciousness.
///
She didn't jump to action immediately only because sister Grace, resignedly annoyed, pulled her attention back to the evening prayer.
Rosaria looked at the statue's face instead, lazily contemplating its likeness, but the disappointed glances of other sisters didn't bother her any more than usual.
She disappeared into shadows at the first opportunity.
Fir needles crunched under her heels as Rosaria allowed her contemplation to return to her target instead.
She could never deny that Albedo intrigued her, as private and ingenious as he was. Mystery clung to him like a second skin, as thrilling as it was dangerous.
Better for her alone than for the city, eh?
The closer she walked, the colder it got, and soon pine and snow mixed under her step.
Rosaria avoided criminal and monster camps alike with practiced ease, pausing only to raise her brow at Snowbearer's Tree growth, red butterflies almost taking to the sky from its branches. Traveller surely poured their soul into reviving it…
And yet, her destination met her with eerie silence.
Alchemist's camp looked empty for the longest time, until…
///
Albedo groaned, blurs and spots refusing to fade under insistent blinking, and slowly sat up, offending claw innocuously hiding under the table where it clattered from his grip. He had a guess now where it came from, at least.
Although checking on that would have to wait. The left shoulder itched from what felt like fairly deep gashes, and as much as his Vision didn't heal, per se, it was hell-bent on burning out Abyss poison from his system.
Albedo suspected that was one of, if not the only, reasons for Visions' existence in the first place, a weak weapon trusted in the correspondingly feeble mortal hands (exceptions existed, but not that many) made useful by sheer quantity. Not like he could ask any deity about it, though...a pity.
A detached voice pulled him out of his pained musings.
– Do you need help getting to the healer or you're fine?
He slowly blinked.
– I don't need a healer.
Her gray figure blurred a little between pine trees.
She turned to the road, scoffing:
– Bleeding like that?
– Wait!.. – Albedo coughed not-blood out, on the camp's frozen floor. Huh. The claw nicked his lung, then.
Nothing his regeneration couldn't fight, but that hurt like a storm. Master knew how to recreate sensations perfectly.
– I...kh-a...don't want to disturb anyone else, sister, – he paused for a second, recollection hazy, – Rosaria?
She paused, half-turning to him:
– You do know that healing is not my line of work.
– Let me just, – Albedo shook his head, gradually standing up by crawling up the table's leg. Or, at least, tried to as Rosaria came over to straighten him in one rough tug with an irritated sigh, – find my first-aid kit. It should be right… – his eyes scanned the shelves. Was air always this syrupy? – here.
He made a grabbing motion toward the lowest, most protected one and almost toppled over again.
– Stay where you are, – she caught him, firmly propping him up with the table's help, and went to retrieve the kit herself. He could swear she muttered something under her breath.
Albedo obeyed, more out of sheer exhaustion than anything else. If he took the next chain of experiments a day later, it would be no one's business but his, and in the meantime, he could arrange a proper protective barrier – probably even two, for himself and the surroundings – on the nearby ley-line…
Jostling of the table made him hiss at the pain spike, but no new coughing emerged. Good.
Rosaria looked the camp over:
– Is there a bed all of this, – she vaguely gestured at his wounded mess, – could be taken to?
He winced. Explaining that he did not need to sleep and, as such, foregone bedding altogether was out of the question. That's why he preferred traveling alone, after all.
– Here will suffice, – he shrugged with a healthy shoulder.
She warily eyed him but picked up a cleansing vial and a cloth from the kit:
– I'll take your word on it.
The next few minutes were spent in relative silence, interspersed only with hisses and rustling of cloth – he would need to patch this batch of clothes soon… - until Rosaria commented out of the blue:
– I didn't think you would return to chat with little sparkle after your talk with Eula.
It was a miracle – and a well-timed stab of pain, letting him grimace instead – that Albedo didn't gape at her.
Well, she accidentally confirmed his theory, at least.
– Klee deserves all the love, – he didn't need to fake fondness or hide his smile, – so it was a split-second decision.
Rosaria non-committally hummed and reached for bandages.
– You should find Barbara soon, – she muttered, critically eyeing her handiwork. – This looks pretty terrible.
Albedo shrugged again, already a bit more at ease.
– I'll handle it, – especially when he'll manage to chug out of a rejuvenation potion stash. – I appreciate your worry, – he inclined his head. A little bit of politeness went long way, he learned.
She huffed, a fleeting smile on her lips:
– My work is done, then, – she raised her brow, challenging. – I hope I won't find you in a lifeless pile next time.
Looking at her figure, disappearing behind the mountain's slope, he allowed himself a small smile.
Being human…was nice.