Bounded || (Albedo x Reader)

|| 32 ||

A/N: The time has come....

I REACHED 1K! The time I have been anticipating for. Thank you guys all so much!!! I have literally been checking back and forth to see if I've reached the number, and I did!

It's very exciting! And to continue onto this news, we shall get to the chapter.

"So... is this Snezhnaya?" Kaeya pointed at the land.

"What else is it supposed to be?" Scaramouche asked annoyed, as he started to head towards the edge of the boat to get off. But stopped the men who were going to follow.

"Why did you stop?" Albedo asked.

Scaramouche threw fatui outfit clothes to the three, as Diluc didn't need the mask for previous reasons.

"Why can't we just wear the mask?" Diluc asked.

"Simply because I get to act like you three work under me." Scaramouche said again, while laughing maniacally in the distance.

Albedo picked up the cicin mage outfit. "I... don't feel the need to wear these."

The lightning man just groaned, and rolled his eyes. "Fine, just keep the mask on. Do not act or say anything unless I tell you to. Especially you, since you like to talk so much." Scaramouche glared straight at Kaeya, who looked offended but also was convinced of himself about it anyways.

"For the time being, I have to buy some time before I can try to get you three into the palace. I can't show up and bring three new guys who aren't even dressed in fatui clothes to get in."

"What if we're a guest? A special honored guest to be escorted?" Kaeya suggested.

"No. Absolutely not. Especially to the Zapolyarny palace. The Tsaritsa knows who's invited and who's not."

"Then where are we supposed to stay?" Albedo stared at the mask he had in his hand, as he fiddled with the material.

"Not this ship, because it's going to be sent back to a different place. And I'm not someone with a lot of free time... why did Childe push this task onto me...?" He mumbled the last part, as he was getting off.

"So you want us to wander around this unknown land?" Diluc asked, Scaramouche smirked as he tipped his head back looking at the man.

"Wouldn't you like to investigate more on delusions? You could try if you want to, and check out the cold land." He waved a hand, as he was walking across the wooden dock.

Kaeya glanced at Diluc who grit his teeth, and slapped the mask onto his face. He never knew what face he must've made, but he knew it wasn't a very friendly one.

Scaramouche encountered some members of his faction of the fatui. As they greeted him, and stared at the three men behind him. They certainly had their fatui masks on, while Kaeya had to fix Albedo's mask that was upside down for a few mere moments.

"My Lord, who are...?" One of them started to ask, but the other jabbed then in the stomach stopping them.

They noticed how Scaramouche looked hostile, as he shrugged off the cut off question.

"You three, I'll have someone take you somewhere to hide for the time being." He muttered, as they all stocked close to him.

Once they separated, they removed the mask.

"Where do you think we're going?" Kaeya asked.

"Who knows. We're practically vulnerable here since we're in a completely different region." Albedo answered.

"It would be better if we stay low." Diluc walked past the two. "There's no way I'm letting a fatui guide me to safety."

"Diluc, come on. There's nothing we can do about this anyways." Kaeya placed a hand on his shoulder, to stop him from walking off. Only he slapped it off.

"Call me stubborn, but I'm not dealing with this kind of humiliation—"

"What is there to be humiliated about?" Albedo suddenly asked. Somehow... he was talking to Diluc with the most direct gaze he's ever given. 

But what was the unease in the atmosphere?

"What is there to be humiliated about?" Albedo repeated.

"It wouldn't do any shit if I say anything, anyways." Diluc's usual polite demeanor diminished from that very moment.

"We're here to retrieve Y/N. What is there to be humiliated about?" Albedo's voice grew louder and more intense with every time he asked the same question.

Diluc moved his head to the side, looking away from the guy. "Fine. We'll just focus on what we came here for."

"That's more like it. What happened to your usual retribution attitude?" Kaeya joked, as Diluc glared with a glint in his eyes.

"You really want me to burn you to a crisp don't you?" He threatened.

"Nonsense! Not when I haven't had my daily alcohol drink at the tavern!" He laughed, as he dodged Diluc's claymore swing.

"Don't dodge the attack, and let me silently strike you." Diluc said again.

"And who says, 'yes please' to such a request. Only such an obsessive masochist would."

Albedo noticed the few wooden houses on the sides of the icy hills, and the giant slope of snow covered land around the entire place. A couple houses in particular were on the icy lake.

"What if we stay around here?" Albedo asked, as he pointed towards the area.

Diluc and Kaeya turned their attention to the smaller blonde guy. Even though Kaeya had been in the middle of blocking Diluc's attack with his puny sword. Which was a miracle it hadn't broke.

"So you want to go into one of those houses?" Kaeya asked.

"They might have shelter. Well enough at least." Diluc replied, as he put his weapon away.

Though, when they approached the houses, a couple of kids exited one of the houses.

"Why do those kids look like the fatui harbinger?" Diluc asked with a bland face. The other two stared with a dead face.

'There's more of the ginger...'