ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ - ᴀʟʙᴇᴅᴏ x ᴏᴄ

Chapter 16 - A Leap of Faith

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The sky was growing darker by the minute. Albedo urged her to pick up the pace to beat the sun slinking away into the depths of the unknown. Already, the moon shone through the thick clouds gathering above them. They weren't heavy with snow, but something about them remained eerie.

His previous warning about the nights in Dragonspine echoed in her mind with each step she took. They had only been laying on the ground for a short amount of time, but with only a matter of two wrong turns, they were struggling to stay on track.

"How far do you think we are?" Melanie asked, leaping over a fallen tree gracefully. She looked over her shoulder to check on him, finding he was simply walking around the debris. Albedo shook his head with amusement.

"If my calculations are correct, it should be just ahead. There is one problem though..."
Melanie slowed her pace, falling in step beside him. Worry furrowed her brows as she spoke. "What is it?"

The alchemist came to a halt, pointing ahead of them. She had to follow his line of sight to reveal they were on the end of the broken bridge. The wooden planks sagged with moisture. While it was still in its usual shape, she didn't trust herself enough to test it.

Albedo seemed to have another idea. He held his hand behind him, but not for her to take; it was a sign to stay put. She nodded once, and he approached the broken bridge slowly, testing each board with an experimental tap of his foot. When the board creaked, he'd back up and approach a different one.

This continued until he came to an end, testing a final plank with a satisfied huff. He looked behind him, gesturing to her to follow with a wave of his hand. "Follow my exact path. I don't want you falling through."

Melanie nodded and trotted over, slowing to remember each board he deemed safe. Each step she took was with great care and hesitation, slowly making her way to where Albedo was standing. He turned his head slowly, looking at her with worry in his eyes. He gazed deeply into her blue ones as if trying to communicate his worries without voicing them.

"You don't have a wind glider, do you?" he asked her eventually, breaking the connection by looking across at his camp where the cart waited.

She shook her head in response. "That doesn't mean I won't get across, silly," she tried to joke. This only earned her a frown from the alchemist.

"There is ice visible on the other side. Jumping would be fruitless," he noted quietly. "We'll have to go around."

Melanie clicked her tongue with dissatisfaction. "Get across yourself, don't worry about me." She offered him a smile, even being bold enough to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "Always so serious!"

"What would I do if you fell to your death? I could never forgive myself!" he protested, though a small smile lined his lips when she kissed him. Something about it gave him the confidence to brush her lightly to the side, then take a running start.

Albedo's wind glider assembled itself when he leaped over the edge of the bridge. The decorative style of each wing matched his usual attire perfectly. The gold reflected in the fading light, and the rich blue rippled as it sliced through the wind.

On the other side of the bridge, he landed with a faint thump. He took little time to gather himself. Instantly, he spun around on the ice to look back at her. "Your turn!" he called.

Melanie looked around at her surroundings. There wasn't much to use but the bridge itself and the large rock face to her left. A few mangled trees reached up into the gap, but they would prove useless.