Time and Being || Albedo

32 - A Toast to Failure

Albedo sat quietly at the bar, his head stooped down and his eyes focused on the cup of sweet iced tea in his hand. Almost everyone in the small tavern had recognized him as the chief alchemist of Mondstadt's knights, but he wanted nothing more for them to ignore him.

Tonight, he'd rather be anyone else, a stranger to the world. No one special, no title, not the Kreidenprinz, nor Albedo of the knights. He'd rather be anyone else because all that the name 'Kreidenprinz' gave him was an incentive to run from himself.

As much as he wished to dissolve, he had brought the wrong companion to avoid attention.

Venti the bard. From his outward appearance, he didn't seem like he could do much, but from what Albedo experienced firsthand. The power that he holds could be enough to fix all of Mondstadt's calamities in one fell swoop.

It was too bad that power was stored within an attention-seeking drunk.

From each sip that the bard took of his alcohol, Albedo could tell that he was relishing not only the effect but also each bitter sip of the liquid.

The bard sat on the bar's table, singing and playing for the people of the tavern. The louder the commotion became, the more uncomfortable Albedo became with where he sat.

Sitting and enjoying the celebration didn't feel right. Of course, on any other occasion, social gatherings like this were welcomed as they were rare for him, but it was outrageous for him to take pleasure in singing and dancing after he had failed to protect the knights from disaster.

The simple fact that he was lucky enough to be saved under his circumstances felt unfair. Now, after all that, he was gifted the opportunity to celebrate.

Celebrate what? Celebrate his apparent failure?

With a sigh the blonde pushes his stool back and rises to his feet, slipping out of the tavern unnoticed.

As he exits, Albedo pulls his hood over his head, watching his feet as he walks along the dirt path. The noise of the commotion is muffled by the walls of the tavern, but obnoxious enough to be heard even as he walks away.

The further he walked from the tavern, the more silent the night became.

At this time of night, afar from the people in the tavern, people of Springvale were mostly asleep. Afar from the two men in the distance and Albedo, no one else was outside.

It was tranquil, a space to think.

Albedo's eyes glance for a moment at the two people in the distance, one of which is a hooded figure, the other is a hunter who held a bow in hand. Both stand talking to one another.

Just as Albedo's eyes start to pull from them, the man with the hood's attention seems to lock onto the alchemist. Albedo tenses for a moment under the sudden gaze but after a quick glance, the man returns to his conversation.

The blonde was far too on edge.

Realizing the man's attention was probably drawn from Albedo's movement, Albedo relaxes his shoulders and turns around to walk up the hill, following the same path he once took with you to the waterfall.

Albedo rounded the edge of the small pond, eventually, he stops beside a rock. The tips of his boots barely touched the water's edge as he solemnly gazed at the flowing waterfall. Just above it, he can see the distant frame of Dragonspine, fogged and covered in a blanket of snow.

As serene as the view was, his mind to clear itself. Behind his calm stature, his mind buzzed wildly with endless thoughts and questions.

He doubted himself repeatedly as he reassessed the situation over and over again