Journey | Albedo's Descent Book 3

Chapter 16: Hot Choccy

Kaeya was pacing. It felt like he was loosing his mind.
Albedo hadn't been back for hours. HOURS! It was taking all Kaeya had in him not to run around Dragonspine looking for him. He knew Albedo knew Dragonspine better than anyone else.
But he still worried. And worried.
Until, finally, at about one o-clock in the morning the tapestries spread apart.
Albedo ducked inside. He had snow on his shoulders and some in his hair.
Kaeya immediately took him into his arms, "where have you been?! Are you alright?! Why didn't you come back?! Are you hurt?!"
Albedo seemed surprised, "oh."
"What do you mean 'oh'?! You've been gone for five hours!"
Albedo blinked, "I... I had just forgotten that you were waiting for me..."
"How do you-" Kaeya didn't know what to do with him anymore. He squeezed Albedo as tightly as he could, "you're going to be the death of me!"
"I'm sorry..." Albedo whispered as he put his arms around Kaeya, too. "The candles' effects haven't completely worn off yet..."
Kaeya sighed, "what were you even doing?"
"Following a Warming Seelie..." Albedo buried his face in Kaeya's warmth.
"And that takes five hours?..." Kaeya was much more concerned than upset. In fact, he didn't even sound upset at all.
That was something Albedo really couldn't understand. How could Kaeya be so forgiving and patient with him?... Albedo quite literally forgot he even existed...
"No... I think I was wandering around for a while first... When I followed it I broke into an alcove filled with books... I thought maybe I would find some answers..."
"Did you?" Kaeya asked. He really hoped that had been a productive journey. He didn't like how sad Albedo sounded.
"Sort of... I know quite a bit more, but... I still have so many questions... And there are more Seelie to find, I'm sure." He held onto Kaeya tighter.
Kaeya heaved a quiet sigh, "Albedo, I know you'll figure it out. It's only a matter of time. I know it."
Albedo didn't have anything to respond with. He closed his eyes, thinking through all he had read. He had to write most of it down so he wouldn't forget, too.
"I'm here to help you, Albedo. Just tell me what to do..."
Albedo let go of Kaeya, stepping back and pulling off his gloves. His hands were covered in scrawlings. "Right now there isn't anything you can help with..."
Albedo found an empty notebook and started copying what he had managed to write down earlier. He added the details he remembered as he went.
It was a little while before Kaeya set something down across the table from him, "that better be washable."
Albedo looked up to see two frothy mugs of hot chocolate and a smiling face.
"It is," Albedo nodded once.
Kaeya slid one of the mugs towards Albedo saying quietly, "Klee says I make the best hot chocolate..."
"Why?" Albedo asked, completely focused on writing.
Kaeya stared at him for a moment. Something was wrong. Albedo normally ignored Kaeya while he was focused, yes. That wasn't what was wrong. It was that Albedo seemed... burdened.
"I always tell her it's because I put my love in it..." Kaeya continued quietly, "then she says that it's gross..."
Albedo nodded, only half-listening. Then he set down his pen, sighing heavily. His eyes were shut tightly and his hands tense.
Kaeya reached across the table and put a hand over one of Albedo's, "Albedo, take a break. You're being too hard on yourself again."
"But what if this is important? What if I forget it all? What if how long I take is important? I can't afford to-"
"Yup. It's bedtime." Kaeya stood up, "so much for hot chocolate."
Albedo shook his head, "Kaeya, I can't. I need to know what I'm looking for."
"Nope. It can wait." Kaeya walked around the table.
"But what if-"
Kaeya picked him up in a princess carry. Surprisingly, Albedo didn't try to resist. He frowned, but didn't say anything. Kaeya knew he must be exhausted.
Albedo muttered to himself, "at least I finished copying..."
Kaeya carried him over to the couch and pulled down the lever on the back with his foot. The couch flattened out into something that could be used as a bed.
"I didn't know it could do that..."
"That was the whole reason Lisa got it for you," Kaeya sighed, "she didn't tell you?"
"I guess not..."
Kaeya set Albedo down on the bed as he removed all his unnecessary layers and set them on one of the empty tables.
Albedo pulled his coat off and flung it into one of the corners. Then, he stood up and walked back over to the table he had been working at.
"Albedo," Kaeya put his hands on his hips, "it's bedtime."
"But... my hot chocolate..."
"We both know that is not why you are over there."
Albedo swiftly moved back to his notebook and starting furiously writing something down.
Kaeya sighed as he walked over, "is it really so hard not to work?"
Albedo ignored him, trying to get this thought on paper before it was gone.
Kaeya picked him up right as he scribbled out the last word, "come on. You need it."
Albedo stared up at Kaeya with no expression.
Kaeya rolled his eyes, "don't be so upset, it's good for you. I assure you that you will be unable to function within a few hours."
Albedo held his silence, knowing Kaeya was right.
Kaeya laid down, holding Albedo over himself.
Albedo pushed up, "but can't I just-"
"No," Kaeya rolled onto his side, taking Albedo with him.
Albedo lips flattened against each other.
Kaeya sighed tiredly, "please don't disappear like that..."
Albedo avoided the conversation, asking a very surprising question, "how come you only ever hold me down over yourself?"
Kaeya blinked, "what?"
Albedo looked down, "so far, anyways."
Kaeya seemed to buffer for a moment. "I don't want to hurt you, Albedo. I feel like I'd crush you on accident..."
Albedo looked up at him, "I may be made of chalk, but that doesn't mean I break as easily."
"No, I know," Kaeya felt embarrassed as he explained, "but you're just so... you're so small... and you're delicate... like a flower..."
Albedo stared at him blankly. "I'm not fragile, Kaeya."
"I- I know," Kaeya slowly took his hands, "but I'm still afraid that I'll hurt you..."
Albedo closed his eyes, "Kaeya..."
The Cavalry Captain felt ashamed, "I just want to keep you safe, Albedo..."
Albedo shook his head, "I promise, I can take care of myself."
Kaeya felt like he really shouldn't say what he wanted to. But he knew he needed to. "Are you sure?... because the way you've been acting hasn't really shown it."
Albedo abruptly looked up at him, "I- I haven't hurt myself. And I-"
"Albedo," Kaeya squeezed his hands, "I need you to stop... Stop being so hard on yourself. Stop depriving yourself of your bodily needs. Stop almost killing yourself... please. I love you Albedo. I want to help you. But I can't if you won't let me."
Albedo held his mouth closed. He didn't want to have this conversation. There was no way Kaeya could help... Because then Albedo would have to tell him that thing was real... and he didn't want to break Kaeya's trust like that. There seemed to be nothing he could do.
This was something Albedo had to do by himself.
"There... There isn't anything you can do..." Albedo closed his eyes tightly. He didn't want to see the disappointment on Kaeya's face.
"Is there really nothing?..." Kaeya felt absolutely useless. "Noting at all?..."
Albedo knew this was a dangerous proposal, but he didn't want Kaeya to sound so sad. He held in a sigh as he spoke quietly, "there are still books I need to read through, and Seelie I need to find... I can't even really tell if that alcove and this thing are related, but... I just need answers."
Kaeya nodded, pressing his forehead to Albedo's, "I'll do my best."
Albedo held his breath. He wanted this all to be over. He wanted that thing to go away and that alcove to stop existing. No matter how exciting this had been, Albedo wanted it gone. He had a horrible feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

"How long do you think it will take?" Kaeya asked.
"I don't know," he looked at the stack of books he hadn't read through yet.
Kaeya sighed, "I have nightwatch and there isn't any way I can get out of it... What horrible timing."
"Just leave when you need to," Albedo sat down, opening a book.
"I want you to stay in camp while I'm gone."
"What? Why?" Albedo looked up in shock and disbelief.
"Because... I just have a bad feeling about this place... It feels... angry..."
Albedo looked around. He got more of a melancholy feeling from sitting here. But maybe that was because of how sad the Warming Seelie had seemed.
"Kaeya, I really need to finish this all quickly."
"I know," Kaeya said swiftly, "but I... I'm really scared for you, Albedo. I don't want anything to happen while no one is here. We can take the books back to camp later and look for the Seelie now if that's what you want?"
Albedo nodded, "that could work..." He closed the book and stood up. He didn't like it, but it was better than not doing anything.
After a few hours they had managed to find five new Seelie. They were all scattered around Starglow Cavern and all immediately started moving when Albedo got within five meters of them.
Albedo hadn't even noticed that his throat was glowing again until Kaeya pointed it out. He seemed very worried.
Albedo hesitated, "I... I don't know what it means but I... Maybe I'm related to everything that's going on, too..."
Kaeya stared down in concern.
"Durin is a part of this mountain... he could be trying to show me something. Or maybe it's something left by my master..."
Albedo didn't even know what else to say. He just knew there was no way to keep this from Kaeya. Eventually Albedo would tell him everything... or Kaeya'd figure it out, himself.
Finally, they found a sixth Seelie and followed it back to the alcove. That completed one row. Front to back in the correct order. It was all so eery and surreal.
After the last Seelie laid to rest on its little pillar, the Mountain rumbled.
Kaeya grabbed onto Albedo, holding him against the wall. He pulled away as it stopped and looked up at the wall behind Albedo, "you aren't going to like this..."
Albedo trembled as he turned around and gazed at the stone. Kaeya was completely right. He didn't like it.
Engraved into the wall was a carving of a somewhat humanoid figure. Around them where the 13 Seelie courts. The figure had a clear, clean cut down the middle. Between the two halves was a symbol.
The diamond on Albedo's neck.
Albedo took another step back, running into Kaeya, who took his shoulders.
"I-" Words started flowing out of Albedo's mouth and he was unable to stop himself. "I thought I was only seeing things because of the candles. But then I found out that the blackish ooze came from that thing. And you could see it, too, so it had to be real. And my symbol kept pointing me to Dragonspine. And then the Seelies. And now..."
Kaeya hadn't said a word. He stared up at the carving. His grip on Albedo's shoulders got tighter, "let's go. Grab the books you need."
Albedo nodded, quickly collecting them into his arms, "what- what do you think it means?"
"I have no idea," Kaeya led him out by the hand, "but it can't be anything good."

Kaeya held Albedo for a long moment, "be safe, okay?..."
Albedo nodded.
"Is there really no way I can convince you to come with me?..."
Albedo shook his head.
Kaeya sighed, "I'll check on your plants while I'm there. And I'll let Klee know we'll be gone for a few more days..."
Albedo nodded again.
"I'll tell Lisa what's happened, too..."
Albedo nodded once more.
"I'll be back soon," Kaeya exited. He had waited until the very last second to leave. He really hated to leave Albedo in such a distressed and confused state. It felt all sorts of wrong.
Albedo went to flipping through books, searching for answers. All the books were diaries written by people who had stumbled upon the area or speculated on what the carving could be.
But there was one diary from when the place had been created. Unfortunately, many of the pages were either missing or unintelligible.
The only information Albedo could pull out of it was about how they pulled the thing in half. At least that would be good to know if it became dangerous. He made sure to copy it into his notes. But Albedo still didn't know why they tried to kill it in the first place...
So he had no idea what to do. Was this thing really bad? Or were these people just afraid of what they didn't understand?
Either way, Albedo knew that if he found more Seelie he would get more answers. But he couldn't do that until Kaeya was back...
Well, he could... but he didn't want to make anything worse between them. He had probably already broken Kaeya's trust by now...