Chapter 2: Ice Cold

Diluc ran. Those that were in the streets were nothing but blurs to him as he made his way from the bar, the burning cinders of what was left of the rag and bin in the corner behind the building. Jean should be at headquarters, but he wasn't sure of that.

There were a lot of Knights still at the bar, people he could have asked, but he didn't consider it before he shot out the door, trying his best to seem as if nothing was wrong and that all they were doing was getting a certain drunk and now injured Knight some help.

Which they were, weren't they?

He wasn't so sure on that anymore as the words from earlier echoed into his head. He'd heard that same sound, many times before now. Every time it left anger bubbling in his chest and a will to act at the forefront of his mind. He'd never, not once, heard that sound come from anything human.

Not until today anyway.

"Jean." Diluc threw open the doors, doing his best to be polite as he did so. By that, he didn't burn anything down and his sword was safely stowed away back at his house. Brute force could only be so threatening alone.

There were no knights guarding the place and, as he made his way inside, to her office, it wasn't hard to see why.

There wasn't much here to guard. The front hall, once the doors were open, was badly scorched past the stairwell that led up to the conference rooms and the master's room. Jean's doorway to the left, before that, didn't have a doorknob on it as he pushed it in.

It might have been then his heartbeat started to slow down when Jean was in the room, a small child with red clothing and light hair scrubbing at the floors of the mostly destroyed office. Any surviving books had been stacked in the corner of the room. Those that were burnt too badly were thrown in a pile that looked like it was made up mostly of them and some of the book cases and floor boards that couldn't be told apart from each other any longer.

"Diluc?" Jean's voice was more than surprised as she stared up at him. "What are you doing here?"

How long had it been since Diluc had walked into these halls? Had he wanted to speak to Jean, which had so far been something that hadn't come up, he was sure he would have normally found a way around it. She was the only reason he was here and he would, if ever again, step foot in this place.

"What the hell is going on?"

Jean's confusion took on another level, though some understanding shown through. "Don't worry, nothings wrong. I wanted to try and get this place sorted out before the others came back. Klee…"

"I'm sorry. I said I was sorry. Klee didn't mean to do it." The girl looked downcast, scrubbing even harder at the floor. "I'm fixing it."

"That's not what I mean." His words were harsh, even to his own ears. "What the hell is going on with Albedo?" A man he had seen in town a few times, during festivals, and another that seemed far too young to have been anything but thrown into the Knights from what he he had heard. Genius, they said. It wasn't as if Diluc had had any reason to talk to him before now, had not even heard his voice before today.

"The alchemist? Nothing that I know of. Why, did something happen at the meeting? I knew it would be asking him too-"

"Come here. This clearly isn't any of my business and if it's a danger to this town I think it should be yours. This isn't my job. Hurry up. He made it sound urgent." Diluc took a few hurried steps, walking out with far more decorum than he had walked in- mostly because the door was already open.

Jean followed along as she always did. Jean was good at taking orders from him, sometimes even without him saying a word. They knew each other well as children, and it translated into adulthood in its own way.

"What happened?" She whispered harshly under her breath as they both quickly made their way through the town.

"I have no idea. That idiot alchemist of yours I only recognized from his description and a few of the others knights talking about him. I'm sure someone helped encourage a little too much drinking while I wasn't present and next thing I know I'm being called in to take care of something that looks like it's about to turn into a fight. I get there only to see him bleeding all over my floor and Kaeya looking very responsible for it all."

"Is he all right? I never thought that he'd- I mean, he didn't seem the type to drink. I thought-"

"I don't care about any of that. It's cleaned up and the other knights are going to be taken care of. I care about the fact that the guy sounded… wrong. He's off, in more ways that one. I didn't notice it before but I've never met him before. He said something about not touching his blood. I can only think of terrible things if that's the warning he was giving us. At least, even drunk off his ass, I could tell he was serious. If he was slurring his words I can guess at how I would have reacted. He's with Kaeya right now and away from the others. If something's wrong with him it's your job to take care of it, and you're going to pay me back if anything if mine is damage in the interum."

"Of course, Diluc. The Knights will repay you for anything any of ours did wrong."

That was all that had to say to one another along the way. Even being worried and angry to an extent, Diluc was aware when his longer strides were taking him far faster than Jean could keep up with. He slowed down for her. This was not his problem. He had no reason to rush.

Albedo was unconscious when they got there, laying on the grass and off the growth a way, while Kaeya tied up his hand with part of his coat. It no longer flowed in the breeze the way it had before and the fur lining was even more obvious, making him look more feminine than he already did.

"What happened?"

"He passed out when we got here. He's been bleeding a lot but I don't think that's the reason. I was able to get it to stop once I put him down. The glass didn't cut him too terribly, but this isn't really going to hold it for long either."

"So-"

"Don't come close to me." Kaeya's words weren't shouted but they held a cold iron to them that made Diluc stop in his tracks. Once he was sure neither of them were coming closer Kaeya held up his hands as if surrendering. There was blood across both his gloves and his fingertips, along with more than a fair bit on his chest. "I don't know what Albedo was trying to warn us about, but I've got his blood pretty well over me at this point."

Diluc leaned to the side, eyeing the house. "I'll be back. If anything happens, shout."

Jean nodded. "I will."

Not rushing so much as not taking his time, Diluc went to the house and up to his room, grabbing his heavy sword and throwing it over his back. If he needed it for any reason, he'd rather have it than be too careful. Returning to the other two he didn't miss the looks they both gave him.

"You heard him." Diluc eyed Kaeya. "Sorry is the one who doesn't take precautions when danger is screaming in their face."

"That sounds very unlike you, Master Diluc," Kaeya scoffed, a smile playing across his face. The captain had been serious since the minute Diluc had entered the bar and the small leak of ease escaping him now had muscles that were tense before slowly loosening up.

"It does, doesn't it? How about I rephrase. If he's a monster, I'm going to protect myself."

"A monster? What exactly happened. Kaeya, explain." Jean turned from him, knowing she'd get more answers out of Kaeya not only because he had to follower her orders but Kaeya had always been the one better with words.

"I'm not sure myself. I'm going to try and wake him. There was something strange that happened in the bar though, after he cut himself. He warned us not to touch his blood, that it was tainted, and his words when he spoke weren't right. He sounded like himself right after but for those few moments… he wasn't."

Jean nodded slowly while Kaeya put his hands and shook the pale, small man that seemed to be far more deadly than he appeared. It took a while and a lot of shaking before Albedo's eyes fluttered open and a hand went to his mouth.

"I'm going to be sick."

Kaeya, either because he was used to such a thing or simply because he was quick on his feet, had the blond sitting up while he lightly held his back and the sound of retching reached all their ears. It was a few minutes before it stopped and the young man shook where he was trying his best to hold himself up. If not for Kaeya he would have failed.

"Are you okay? I didn't thin you'd be such a lightweight. Well, I take that back. I thought you'd be on your ass by drink three if you hadn't gone for four. I suppose I lost that bet I had going."

"You bet I would-" in a second Albedo had his hand back near his mouth and jerked a bit a few times before he settled, breathing in and out deeply. His eyes were fogged as his looked at his hand he had placed there, the cloth clearly catching his attention as his eyes widened. "I didn't…. Did I touch any of you?"

"Yes, me." Kaeya moved so he could be seen and still hold the man up. "I was wondering what's going to happen to me now. Am I going to get sick or something? You've got me a little worried with how you said it."

"Not sick in the conventional way, no." Albedo kept his hand in front of his mouth, speaking through the cloth and slowly, making sure his words escaped him correctly as well as making sure only words got out. "It's going to effect your mind and body in ways that will cause you pain, though I can come up with something in my lab if given time. It shouldn't have any… long lasting… effects. I just… need to…" And Albedo passed out again in front of them all this time, Kaeya just barely catching him and laying him back down.

Diluc took that as well enough confirmation that getting close to either of them would have no lasting effects should they not come into contact with either. "I see. That didn't answer a great many of my own questions though it did at least shed a bit of light on this proximity. He was only worried in the bar as I was going to clearly come into contact with him. In the open he showed considerably less fear. He is still very drunk. Kaeya, I think this blame falls on you."

Kaeya opened his mouth and looked like he was going to object before closing it again. "In this particular instance I will take most of the blame, though not all. Albedo knew what he was doing when he started on his last glass."

"Kaeya, we don't really know what's going on. I think you should wash yourself off. We'll stay here in case he wakes up or anything st- on second thought, you both should be watched." Jean's eyes darted to him for a second, Diluc folding his arms.

"I'll stay here."

Jean nodded. "If anything happens, shout. Come on Kaeya, there's a river nearby. We can wash you off and make sure none of it gets back in the water."

"That's good enough for me. I don't know how he bled so much. I must look like I'm dying myself." He was cheerful as he stood but Diluc would have been blind not to see the stiffness around his eyes or the unsure way his stance would shift, Anyone who didn't know Kaeya well would have missed it but with the two of them here there was little point hiding anything. "Thanks."

They walked off leaving Diluc alone with Albedo. His hand shifted to his sword and he drew it, placing the large blade into the ground and feeling the metal easily sink beneath a few half dozen inches of dirt or more. He only had eyes for the unconscious man that he didn't know past a name. Whatever the cause or effect, he was a dangerous person – either due to the fact that his blood was somehow contagious with some unknown mental effect, or because the man was delusional enough to make them think it was. Even drunk, he was betting on the former. Albedo was simply too serious about it.

That made a well and good danger to not only the people of the city but to himself.

Muscles twitching, his hand tightened on his sword, eyes sharp as he debated just what it was he'd do. Had he been alone he might have simply killed him and been done with it. He had curious witnesses that would be returning, witnesses that had power and laws to abide to. Even with his lax personality and streak of secrecy a mile long, he doubted even Kaeya would let things slid if he acted to promptly. Not that he cared what either knight had say about his decisions. It simply, in the long run, would trouble him more than not.

"Irritating."

Albedo seemed to hear him, one of his eyes trying hard to open though sleep and inebriation tugged it back down, his shoulders shaking a bit as he tried to look at him. "Forgive me. This was not as… I intended."

"I know that. If I thought that it was, you wouldn't be sleeping in my yard right now. I haven't known a person to have tainted blood before, only monsters. It could be you're using the word to describe something different. I'm not too sure how alchemy works myself or your terms. Are you human?" It wasn't as if Diluc has reason to sugarcoat his words or question.

Albedo opened his mouth a little, words failing him, before he succeeded several attempts later. "Yes, more so than not in any… case."

"More so than not… Part of you isn't human."

There was a longer pause as both eyes opened, trying to focus on him, his head moving as if it were drifting on a slow moving river even as he lay. "I suppose that's one way of.. putting it. I don't know what I would be if not… human though."

That statement confused him. To know you were human was a simple fact. If he was more than human there were many words to describe it, and many more so someone trained and learned would be able to use. "You're dangerous."

Albedo nodded, slightly, still moving in his own reality. "I am. We all are, in our own ways. The world is full of danger… and the strange. I suppose.. I may be more dangerous than most… but only in given… situations."

"I don't consider myself a danger."

There was a smile and a light breath, the alchemist being slow about it before he got himself into a sitting position all on his own, drunkenly looking at the sword and then at his face. "You seem far more… dangerous to me in my eyes… than many. I have spent no… time with you but… you wield a rather large sword for someone who… attends grapes. You also have… stood here with me when you were… told of danger. There is no hesitancy… to you. You are a warrior on of your own making… That would make you a great danger should you wish to be one. Speaking of which… I know very little of Kaeya." Albedo waved his hand, the arc of it far to swiveled and strange to be any kind of indication. "Would you consider him dangerous?"

"Very." The answer was instantaneous and true. "Most likely one of the most dangerous, if he wanted to be."

"Then you see… my point." The alchemist moved his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose, still looking very ill. "I do need to get to my lab but I'm in… no condition to do anything at the moment. I cannot judge your skill without… seeing it. Should there be a fight, would you… be able to prevail over Kaeya? I would not be able to… participate."

Diluc frowned. "I would." There was no doubt in that statement either. "Why? As much as he ticks me off I don't think he plans on turning on us."

"Not at the moment perhaps, no. It all depends on how deep his shadows are. For a man who… smiles as much as he does… I can only imagine a darkness far beyond what I can see inside. Those that smile are… in the most pain." Moving stiffly and fluidly in the way that only those with little control of most of their brain could do, Albedo struggled until he was standing. If there was something wrong with him his blood still coated a good deal of his coat and the white made it easy to see. He was not going to attempt to help him even if he wished to with that fact.

"I do not feel well but staying here will not help." Albedo looked around but he didn't look like he was seeing much as he stumbled more than a few times standing still. "We're at the winery.. my lab is… quit the bit off." A hand went back to his mouth and they both waited as his stomach calmed. "I do not… think I can make it on my own."

"Jean and that fool will be back soon. Before then I want you to give me a reason not to cut you down."

Fogged eyes turned to him but Albedo found it hard to stand as his gaze shifted, stumbling a few steps off to the side before settling. "I suppose if you're out to kill me, I cannot stop you. I have my vision but not my sword. I was also never too fond of fighting, though I can. What damage I can do to you before I would go down though I think would be minimal. It's hard to even keep you in my sight currently. Allow me to at least write down what it is… you will need to mix when you get to my lab."

"I said give me a reason not to cut you down. I didn't say analyze how a fight between us would go. So, why should you still breathe?"

There was a small amount of movement and a fleeing smile that didn't stay in place long either due to the fact that he was not used to smiling and the muscles were underused, or due to the fact that most drunks had terrible mood swings. "Judging my own worth is not something I can do. I am me and I have something I must do. I do not and did not plan on causing harm to anyone that wasn't willing to sign up for it in the pursuit of knowledge. I can give you no better answer than that."

"And that's a good enough reason?"

"I believe so, though that is up to you to decide." Albedo put a hand to his mouth once more, his eyes though didn't hold the same glazed look they had. As they stared at some point that was beside him, they flashed a bright color of some sort, a weakness there that the drink and normalcy quickly hid as the man closed his lids. "Keeping in control when you're drunk is a terribly hard thing to do. I did not think this through."

"No, you didn't. For now that reasoning is good enough but if you try and hurt anyone…" he left the threat hanging. There were monsters out there that needed to be stopped and he learned over the past few years that more than a few of them wore human skin. This man was no different.

"I understand. Do you think, when they return, you could help me to my lab?"

"In the mountain?" He had heard him say something about that. If they had need to go, Jean and Kaeya were well more than enough to take him. "You can ask them yourself when they get back."

"No, I'm asking you." Worried green eyes tried to meet his a few times before falling to the ground. "You are the one prepared to kill me. I would feel better if you helped me get there. Kaeya will need to come with simply because I do not think leaving him to his own accords right now is the best idea. I'd be able to judge this better… if I knew him well." Albedo swayed before half falling to the ground, half kneeling. "I will have to… rest until they return."

"Don't get drunk in my bar again. In fact, I'm banning you forever."

Something was there for the briefest moment, something that looked like pain. "I can understand that. I am sorry for the trouble."

"Everyone is sorry after they screw up. Just learn not to screw up in the first place and you won't be."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I will try harder to-"

"Don't listen to him."

Diluc's eyes snapped up. Kaeya and Jean were returning though they had clearly gone the longer way around to avoid him noticing them. "And just why is that?"

"Because I don't know what's going on and I don't really understand what's wrong with him, but everyone screws up from time to time. The guy is nothing but a walking doll that wants to please anyone anyway. If this is a screw up, great. You should do this more often." Kaeya's smirk irritated him as he walked forward, Albedo stumbling backwards a bit until he fell on his butt before they were next to each other and Kaeya bent down to keep him from moving. "Whatever is going on, touching you again shouldn't make any difference, right?"

"I don't think so, though you really shouldn't be flirting with the idea that it won't." Trying and failing a few times to meet the other's eyes and sound serious, the alchemist gave up and settled for looking at the ground. "If you are willing to risk it though, I would appreciate it if you helped me up and to my lab. That is, if you can. I can find my way there on my own given some time."

"It's been a while since I had to carry more than a child. Doing it the way I did to get us here was hard." Kaeya turned, his back to the man and his hands out at the bottom. "Do you think you can get on my back? While you're the center of attention and the damsel in distress, I'm not really looking for a princess to sweep of her feet right now."

"I would not put it past you to try at this point. You are.. strange." There was another flutter there in the man's eyes. It was as if he was trying to sort something out and, every time he got close, it would manifest as something physical before draining away. Strange.

"I can help if you need." Jean showed off her gloves to Albedo. "Once we get you there, will you be okay?"

"I'm not sure. I need to get there first to tell you an honest answer." It was slow as the shorter man found a well enough purchase against Kaeya to be picked up, Jean lightly touching his shoulder and trying to avoid anything but cloth to be sure he was in place. It was only a few dozen or so seconds into walking that he was conscious for.

"Albedo?" Kaeya inquired, waiting a few seconds for an answer. When none came he turned to him. "Diluc, did he say anything?"

"I'm afraid not. What he did say was no help." He huffed. "Why do you make already complicated situations more complicated?"

"Don't think I'm not well aware things have gone far further than any of us would have wished. I'm still not fully sure what's going on and what I am sure of has left me with more questions. I'm worried more about him than myself at the moment though." There was a slight shifting at his indication. "When he was speaking with me before, his priorities seemed far shifted from his own well being that, if he's worried about me, I feel there's more than enough reason to worry about him. No one bleeds that freely." Then he dropped all forms of seriousness and strode with a smile and a purpose. "Of course, forcing your hand a bit was not my intention, though I cannot say it hasn't been a bit fun. I don't think you've said half as many words to me within a month before."

"You don't deserve them." Diluc tried his best to keep a calmness to his voice. He had learned over the years to control himself but that only applied to certain things. Kaeya was one thing that would always bother him. "Nor does he."

Kaeya frowned. "Why do you say that? Was it the shift in his voice? I noticed that too. He sounded…"

"Like something from the abyss."

"Yes," Kaeya agreed slowly, with a shadowed look as he no longer tried to face him. "Perhaps. It was hard to tell in so little words but it did share the same cavernous echo that those from there speak in. He doesn't bleed like them though, nor speak, and he hardly looks like something from the other side. I've been kind of wondering if he's cursed."

Diluc had looked into those of the Abyss since joining those more along his own desires. His main focus had always been the Fatui so he knew he was lacking in some facts still. "Can you get cursed from them?"

"Probably? I mean, I've never heard of such a thing. They are dark creatures that like to twist reality into their own image though. It's how they make doorways here, I'm sure you know that. I've never considered before what they do with any human's they don't kill."

"You know, now that you say that," Jean touched her hand lightly to her chin. "There have always been attacks where they've killed a few of ours and we've returned the favor, though those have been few and far between. Normally they don't seem strong enough to take us on or don't try if it may lead them to be killed. I'm sure there's more of them dead than ours. I've never heard of them ever kidnapping someone or holding them hostage. They could, potentially. They're not stupid creatures."

"They're not," Kaeya agreed. "Which is why I'm wondering if our friend here doesn't have other strange, deeper ties to them. Diluc, he really said nothing about any of it?"

"I didn't ask." He had wanted to, badly. He had stated it as boldly as he could by calling him a monster, but Albedo had either misunderstood or given him the wrong explanation in the way he had asked it. "You're better at things like questioning people than I am."

"I suppose."

The walk was a long one, hours away without running and Kaeya didn't seem like he could. Had he been holding him, Diluc was certain he could have kept up a pace. Kaeya wasn't near as strong as him when it came to physical tasks, though he was by no means out of shape. He simply focused on speed and accuracy more than slamming someone into the ground.

They were at the foot of the mountain and past several men who thought they could gain treasure from the snowy fields here. As if someone would bury something in this forgotten place. They were easily dispatched by him, with Jean helping more than he would admit to her as the frost got to him with several attacks.

He could see the other two shivering.

Thinking about it and, very reluctantly, Diluc took off his coat and placed it over Jean's shoulders. She'd be his main source of back up if anything went wrong. In the frozen tundra of the mountain he doubted Kaeya would be very effective even if his hands weren't literally tied.

"Why didn't you go back to get something more suited for this place?" He asked her. Kaeya's answer he didn't care about. With how he acted he doubted the man would have changed his clothing if the world were on fire. He simply wore what he liked and in the strange style he seemed to create.

"We didn't have time. Diluc, this is-"

"Keep it. If you freeze to death before we get there who's going to heal the frostbite we're all getting? Think things through."

The comment was irony in itself coming from him. All his attempts at complicated planning passed for nothing more than common actions when faced with the mental processes of others more suited for the task. Jean smiled, shrugging the coat on over her arms instead of keeping it on her shoulders where it was bound to fall off in battle. She did, however, have trouble rolling up one of the sleeves to get at her sword so he stopped briefly to help her without a word.

The was up one of the paths when Kaeya stopped, both of them having kept him more or less close in case anything happened. His head was bowed and his body faintly twitched now and then at the cold.

"What's wrong?" Jean placed a hand lightly on his arm. "Is it hard climbing with him on your back? It's slippery here, I was going to tell you to-"

"I don't feel well."

Judging from Jean's expression it was clear neither of them had heard Kaeya admit to such a thing, at least, not in a very long time. Bracing himself a bit so he wouldn't completely fall or drop Albedo, Kaeya placed a knee on the inclined snowy ledge ahead of him. His breathing, now that he wasn't moving and Diluc could see his resting intakes, was far too fast and harsh.

Almost as if the frosty air itself was burning him. That, for an ice user, was something he never thought possible. Kaeya never seemed to mind the cold, from what he could tell at least. His dress spoke enough of that in the colder climates they had run into each other in.

"Do you need me to take him?" Jean already had a hand on either of Albedo's shoulders, trying to brace the both of them.

"He had blood on his clothes, though it should be dry by now. I-"

Whatever words would be lost for a while as Kaeya seemed to lose his grasp on the world. Jean was able to grab Albedo, dragging the man off slightly and to lay in the snow. Kaeya wasn't so lucky, as she had no purchase on him, and he started to fall back down the slope they had mostly climbed.

While not as fast as Kaeya, Diluc had clothing made for this weather, even without his coat. He slipped past Jean and only had to take in a few yards before he was able to grab onto Kaeya's furry part of his coat, stopping him from falling any further. "Kaeya." There was a strange stuttering his heart as he said his name that bothered him. He avoided it whenever possible. "Wake up."

The ice user did nothing but partially lay in the snow while Diluc tried to haul him back up. At an incline it was hard but he wasn't putting much effort into the task either. If something was wrong it was better to judge for himself as an observer before getting caught up in it. If he were ill, best not to make them both ill.

"Is he okay?"

"I don't know." Making sure he wouldn't fall when he let him go, Diluc lightly placed him in the snow, watching breath form and his chest move as if he were running. His eye was closed but it looked more like he was in pain than sleeping. "Try and wake the other."

They waited a few moments while Jean shook Albedo. As before the man was slow to wake, even slower to speak. He looked far more out of it than he had before, even at the distance they now were from each other.

"What's happening?" Albedo's eyes seem to run in and out of focus, mostly staring up rather than at either of them.

"I know where you're lab up here is, I've been there before. We're almost there but Kaeya.. is passed out I think? What's going on? You need to tell us. Is it related to you?"

The blond tipped his head as if he were thinking and his head itself too heavy for him as it was more of him leaning over than turning. "Nothing should be happening to him yet. I know he touched my blood when I told you all not to." There were a few more blinks before Albedo hugged himself. "It's cold."

"Kaeya is unconscious, Albedo. What's wrong?" Being the caring person that he was, he knew Jean would never get violent unless she had to. There was a time for discipline and she knew it just as well. She shook him hard, the drunk wavering but his eyes opening further as she did. "Tell me."

The alchemist look like he'd be sick with the movement but held it as he looked past her and at himself. Diluc gestured to Kaeya on the ground. "He passed out but I think something's causing him pain."

"He wasn't already tainted himself, was he? I can only imagine what my blood would do to someone who already had something running through their veins. I've never tried or wanted to try. It's my only guess as to him feeling any effects so quietly, though I also know I'm not thinking all that well right now. There might be another cause. In any case I need to get to my lab to make something to counteract it. It will take me time and I will need to be brought up there. If Kaeya falls because of the taint, because it's hard to be strong sometimes, someone will need to stop him. Make sure it doesn't get too bad or he gets too hurt before I can come up with something or you'll just need to kill him."

The facts were spoken as if he were right next to him, quiet and far away in reality. Diluc heard every word and didn't feel so much as a twinge at the thought of those actions. If Kaeya died for some reason, he died. That didn't mean he wouldn't try and keep the instigating bastard alive, but it was something he had just debated about with the alchemist. No real new thoughts or emotions went into the idea.

"You never explained the illness."

"Again, it's not so much an illness." Albedo rested his head on Jean's arm where she was still holding his shoulders. "It's a taint. It affects people in different ways but, mostly, it just turns whatever is there in essence into a twisted form of its own. In Kaeya's case, as I don't know him very well, I would assume it would twist his allegiance with the Knight of Favonius. It would make him doubt or hate them. What the results would be of that I'd imagine would be dire. As a captain I'm assuming his strength is better than a match for those around him."

"So he might start attacking Jean." Diluc didn't understand all of that, and he was sure part of it was due to inebriation, but the part he did understand was clear enough. Kaeya may, somehow, change his personality to be the opposite of what it was. Where he was concerned he doubted that was much but Kaeya spent nearly every day with Jean, even if it wasn't directly at her side.

"And me, possibly. I'm not sure. Darkness manifests itself in many ways. In my case I lose what little connections I have and forgo the rules of nature to suit my purposes. It's only been close with me, and only a very few times that I don't recall. I am sure I would be able to hold him back myself if it weren't for the fact that, lying, he seems to be moving around my vision. I also will need to work on what I will need to counteract the effect. Do either of you know how to… not be drunk?"

It was a few seconds before either answered, Jean nodding and sharing a look with him. "Diluc, that snow behind me. Can you work with that?"

He gave no response, going over to where the ground was level and embedding his sword into the frozen earth as far as it would go. "It won't last long in this climate."

"I know." Picking up Albedo who was still very unsteady, she led the alchemist beside him. "This might hurt you… I've never done it in the mountains. I can't think of anything better though. I'll stop you from getting frostbite too bad or anything."

The man looked worried as he was placed within feet of him, Diluc waiting until Jean was ready before starting a blaze of fire along the ground, under the snow. He'd never done this before and had no idea what effect it would have, if it would work, so he limited it to just the small amount near them. If he ended up turning all the snow to vapor he could easily shift his position.

Jean must have had similar worries to him as Diluc was forced to push his hair out of his face seconds later, the wind whipping up out of nowhere and, in a display of control he could hardly match, it swirled over the small area that he saw steam rising from. The mix of the cool air and the heat kept the water particles there, melted, and she wasted no time pushing the blond man into the foot or two of water held in place by the snow around it.

Albedo sputtered and Diluc couldn't help a small smile tug at his lip that he quickly let fall, watching the man's eyes widen as his coat and clothing soaked through, water running down his face as he turned to sit in the cold pool. He got up quickly before Jean forced him back down.

"Are you awake?"

"Very much so, acting Grand Master. May I please get out of this ice bath now?" It had taken a while but Albedo started shivering fairly violently as he sat there. Jean reached a hand down and helped him up as Diluc removed his sword.

"Thank you." Looking like a waterlogged hairy dog with the amount of clothing he had on, Albedo tried wringing out his jacket before removing it and placing it on the ground, his arms going across his chest to try and warm himself. He looked around as if seeing where he was for the first time. "I can make it to the lab fine on my own. There's torches and flint there to at least keep myself conscious and with the living." His eyes focused on Kaeya. "You two have a greater job than I. Keep him alive if you can and do not let him hurt you or get past you. If he ends up stopping me there will be no way to recover him. If he ends up killing one of you, you're dead." Teal eyes turned to both of them, a seriousness there. He waited a few seconds on each before half walking, half running up the mountain. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Kaeya shifted and Diluc took a step in front of Jean. If this blood thing was real and he somehow turned on his allies, Jean would be his first target. "Keep behind me."

Jean nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't hurt him."

Diluc winced at that, though she couldn't see. In years he'd never gone out of his way to harm Kaeya. He'd more or less tried to pretend he didn't exist. He wasn't sure how to treat him or what to do with him and he absolutely hated the man Kaeya was. Twisted, conniving words that would get you to do what you did not want were not how Diluc liked to be treated. On top of which, 'careful' and 'non-lethal' had never been the best words used to describe him in battle.

He nodded anyway. Kaeya, right now, was an innocent. He'd try his best.

Making sure it was safe to get near him was what Diluc planned on doing above all. What proof he had that anything was wrong was going to determine his actions. It was slow as Kaeya shifted a bit more in the snow, his breath even, though his eye remained closed. For a bit anyway. Minutes passed before he opened it and slowly stood, Diluc watching in some amazement.

It was as if someone had touched Kaeya's skin, somewhere under that cloth that hid his eye, with a calligraphy brush that exuded ink. Blackness started to paint the already dark skin and his light, opalescent eye, started to shin with a lighter, inner light of some kind. The one white, gradient streak that Kaeya had in his hair became infectious, spreading to the rest of his hair as they watched.

In the few dozen seconds that took they were left facing a white haired, very very dark skinned Kaeya, to the point if there was a color to it, Diluc couldn't tell. It hid his features very well and if not for the white of his teeth he wasn't sure he would have noticed when Kaeya grinned at them.

"What's all this about? Drawing a sword on me? What have I ever done to you?"

There was a laughter to those words that irritated him, just like Kaeya always liked to do. Besides the new look, nothing about what was said seemed out of the ordinary.

"Jean." All Diluc did was say her name, feeling her react to it more than seeing it as she shifted to hear him better. He watched Kaeya instead, seeing what his reaction would be.

Kaeya merely placed a hand on his hip and tipped his head, that smile still there. It was such a normal gesture that Diluc found a few of his muscles relaxing. "What, now you're afraid of me? I don't recall doing anything to warrant this behavior. Did something happen? I believe I had been walking with the two of you and now I'm covered in snow."

There did seem to be a good amount of snow on him that had caught either when he had fallen or when the light snowfall around them had piled up as he laid there. Partials that had been caught in his hair were now invisible to him, though the light color shown easily on the darker parts of his clothing and skin.

Which, watching as the snow fell and was caught between the jacket and his skin, Diluc narrowed his eyes and backed up. Kaeya noticed the shift and he watched him take a step forward towards them, his smile growing sharper, and a sheen of white appeared between them, encircling Kaeya.

Diluc watched him reach for his sword, drawing it, and facing him down as hands tighten on his own weapon.

"Come on now, Diluc. Is that any way to treat your brother?"

A deep yet higher echoing tone entered Kaeya's words as he spoke and there was no hesitation as Diluc set his sword aflame. Whatever reserve he had felt before was gone. This wasn't Kaeya he was looking at, it didn't resemble him much at all.

No, this was a creature from the Abyss.

And it had to be destroyed.