Heart Imbued of Gold - Genshin Impact

Chapter 3

"Ow! How many more do you need?!"

"I must take several samples to fruit multiple tests for various subjects. We are almost done."

"You said that five minutes ago and now I'm bleeding everywhere."

"I considered another test that can be done, is all. Now hold still or I will have to do it again."

Aether clenched his left hand into a tight fist, giving Albedo a clear shot at one of the main veins coursing through his arm. A thin, hollow needle poked into it again, this time a few centimeters away from another still-bleeding pinprick. The cylinder took a small skin sample with it's withdrawal, and Aether frowned as he pulled it out. Albedo moved it to a small vial, eyeing his arm further as if scheming where to retrieve a piece next.

"Can we at least take a break? You have a whole collection of my DNA by now," Aether complained while rubbing at his forearm with an annoyed glare directed at the many tiny bottles full of his blood, tissue, and strands of hair strewn carefully across the table past Albedo. "How are you even going to use this stuff?"

The alchemist corked the bottle and reached over for the sealant providing preservation he's used on each other vial, now of which were air tight. "Don't fret. Not a speck of it will be wasted per your hardships." A sarcastic tone was read quite well from Albedo's monotone reply. Aether scoffed as the latter silently glued the cork down, swiping the brush around the lip of the glass as well as over the cork itself.

"So what results are you looking for? Anything in particular?" The traveler asked, swiping bandaging tape from the table as Abledo began writing a tag for the most recent sample. Aether was sitting on a small desk in the corner of Albedo's 'lab' of sorts held within a large tent near the base of Dragonspine, so he had the bonus height to successfully grab it despite the angle.

Albedo hummed. "Well for the blood, I will be analyzing it for traces of elemental energy as well as any other malicious aura present. It would also be a great chance for me to deduce whether or not it reacts well with your blood type or general health." The traveler nodded as he listened, starting to wrap the many small wounds on his arm.

"As for the skin and hair, toxins can be read from quality and upkeep alone. It may sound odd, but it's beneficial for my work." Taking the labeled tag and a small piece of string, Albedo wrapped it around the neck of the bottle gracefully, admiring it with the way his eyes glowed for the first time during their moments together. "I do hope this isn't an inconvenience when it can provide both of us answers."

"I see," Aether said. He placed the roll of gauze back down, gripped one of the ends in his hand and the other in his mouth, tying it together. "Show wash' next?"

Albedo ignored his muffled speech and placed the vial down, kneeling down to rummage through a crate nearby. "I'll have you participate in a few physical exercises first to assess how this ability has taken a toll on your wellbeing before its use. The real question is," the blond looked up with dark shadows across his face. "Have you already used it?"

"Wha― No, I haven't," Aether replied close to a snarl. "I'm tired of everyone being so hostile or cautious of me. I'm not some monster."

"Yet," the man growled with a primal tone. "You aren't some monster yet."

"Excuse me?" His skin prickled with the insinuation Albedo prodded him with. Aether's eyes grew stormy. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I wouldn't rule out your newfound power to be a horrible mutation just yet. Who knows what it could end up doing without knowing what it even entails?"