Despite the late night they'd had talking about alchemy, Varian and Yong were up bright and early the following morning, the rain finally subsiding to a misty drizzle. Sure enough, Yong's mother had allowed him to take Varian to the capital, looking relieved to have him off her hands, and Varian had to bite back his irritation. Zhi had done him a service in giving him a warm place to sleep and a filling meal. So instead he thanked her profusely for her hospitality and set off back to the main road that led to the capital. Yong chattered non stop the entire time, asking countless questions about Varian's alchemy; how he sourced his materials, how he conducted his experiments, how he made such amazing compounds like his sticky trap and Flynnoleum. Varian didn't mind answering his questions, even if it exhausted him. In return, Yong went into incredible detail talking about how to make Bayangor's famous black powder and how it could be used for things other than fireworks.
'Ingvarr is the biggest importer of our black powder,' Yong explained, 'They use it for their weapons and machines and stuff. But they don't want it for their own fireworks! Can you believe that? It sounds so boring!'
'How do you know so much about all that?' Varian asked, curious how a farm boy might have picked up on Bayangor's economic ties with Ingvarr.
'My dad works in the palace,' Yong explained, 'He's responsible for a lot of the trade. When he comes home every week I hear him talking with Mama about it.'
Varian frowned, considering. Corona didn't really trade all that much with Ingvarr but it might be important to know that they used black powder for their weaponry. He made a note to tell Rapunzel that when they reached the city.
While he enjoyed Yong's company, it did make consulting his mother's journal more difficult. Granted Yong couldn't understand the code, but Varian couldn't very well translate it in his company if he was to keep the trials secret. He didn't want to get him any more involved than he already was. If someone else was trying to steal Ulla's journal and complete the trials themselves, the less Yong knew about it the better. He didn't doubt that whoever had attempted to steal it was capable of silencing a child if they learned too much. So it was only after Yong had passed out at the end of every day that Varian worked on the journal by light of his glowing chemicals. According to his mother's notes, the entrance to the next trial could be found nearby something she called 'Dragon Falls' which Varian could only assume meant some kind of waterfall, but there was nothing on his map to indicate its specific location. He'd need to rely on Yong for that one. But what really caught his attention was a single page completely blank, leaving a massive gap between entries. More than that, the dates of the two entries weren't concurrent either which caught him as odd. Ulla had been strict about writing an entry every day, sometimes even twice a day or more. But there was a whole day missing. Varian tried to expose some kind of hidden ink, thinking back to Demanitus' scroll, but none of his ideas yielded results. There wasn't even any sign that a quill or pencil had been pressed into the paper, leaving it perfectly smooth. Reading the next entry gave him an explanation:
"How fascinating! I wrote out an exact detailing of what the Fire Trial entailed, but when I opened my journal again this morning, the whole thing was gone! It's as if it's been erased completely from my record. I tried rewriting it again this morning but as soon as I closed and opened the book again, it was gone! Donella has no idea what might have caused this and it happens when she tries to write in her own notes about the trial. What's interesting is that whatever this is, it only erases everything that happened between us actually entering the trial, and the moment we left it. I can only assume this is some kind of magic Demanitus used to make sure that people aren't cheating their way through the trials. He wants to keep it fair for everyone which I suppose I can respect. Still, I wish I'd have known that before writing out everything twice! My hand is cramping."
Varian ran his fingers down the blank page, feeling a combination of nervousness and excitement at the prospect of what mysteries the trial might hold if Demanitus had gone so far to keep it hidden. He supposed he'd find out tomorrow; according to Yong, they'd reach Bayangor's capital tomorrow afternoon if they kept up the pace.
The first thing they saw of the city was the massive volcano that rose up from the ground alongside it. It was huge, looming overhead like some kind of giant stone sentinel. Yong explained that it had been dormant for decades, posing no threat to the city, but that just in case, there were precautions in place to protect it against any explosions or lava flows.
They could smell the city before it came into view; a combination of that distinctive black powder smell and the most incredible spices Varian had ever encountered. Every so often they'd see fireworks appear in the sky in the distance, though Yong assured him the main show wouldn't happen until evening fell. When they did finally reach the city, he'd been expecting something like Corona with its twisting roads and neat, albiet slightly chaotic infrastructure. What they got instead was an absolutely massive city with enormous wooden buildings stretching skyward, their sloped roofs curling up at the corners in a way that Varian had never seen before. Red and gold banners were fluttering from signposts, from balconies, even strung from ropes across the streets, doubtless to celebrate the festival. Food vendors had their mobile carts set up along the sides of the main road, hawking their wares to passersby and waving the most intoxicating smelling food about that made Varian's mouth water. He tried to stop Ruddiger from bolting off the moment they crossed the large wooden gates into the city, but the raccoon wasn't having it. In moments, he'd scampered away into the crowd to likely pilfer as much of the food as he could find. Varian sighed, watching him disappear as he tried to urge Prometheus along, but with how dense the crowd was, it was a losing battle.
'That's an inn just there,' Yong explained, pointing to a larger building nearby with a sign hanging above the door in characters Varian couldn't read.
Relieved to have Prometheus stabled and his equipment safely locked in his room, Varian let himself start to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the city. Yong seemed just as excited as Ruddiger, pointing out everything they passed with such enthusiasm Varian could believe he'd never been here before.
'Oh, over there is the fire juggler!' Yong exclaimed, pointing. 'And that one there uses a flaming whip to make shapes in the air! And that stall there sells the best sparklers! And that woman's shop has the most amazing dumplings you've ever tasted!'
It was entirely too overwhelming in the best possible way. Varian didn't even know where to start which made him all the more grateful to have Yong with him, taking him around the stalls, showing him the best sights, and even directing him to a merchant selling alchemy supplies, including some black powder which Varian was curious to run some tests on. He knew he should be focusing on finding the location of the trial, but he was having far too much fun experiencing what the city had to offer.
'Oh, oh, Varian!' Yong exclaimed as people started to filter towards one of the largest buildings in the city. 'That's the palace! The show must be starting soon!'
Varian grinned, letting Yong pull him along until they were right up at the front of the crowd. But before the fireworks show could start, a familiar chattering appeared and he glanced down just as Ruddiger leapt up onto his shoulder, crumbs of food all over his muzzle and paws, eyes wild with fear.
'Ruddiger! Wait, what's wrong?'
Ruddiger turned back the way he had come and Varian spotted a number of people dressed in identical red and gold leather armour pushing through the crowd towards him.
'Um, Yong?' Varian asked and Yong looked over at the man approaching.
'Oh, that's the city watch,' Yong explained, 'They make sure no one is stealing anything or doing anything illegal.'
Varian looked back at the men who were definitely fixated on him now while Ruddiger attempted to hide behind Varian's head.
'What did you do?' Varian hissed to him and Ruddiger chirped before burping, giving Varian a sheepish grin.
'You there!' one of the guards called, 'With the goggles! Is that your raccoon?'
'Yong I think we need to get out of here,' Varian snapped, starting to move away from the guards through the crowd.
'What? But the show's about to start!'
'Wait! Stop!'
'Now, Yong!' Varian snapped, grabbing Yong's wrist and dragging him into the crowd as the watch began charging after them.
Varian had no idea what Ruddiger had done, likely stolen more food than he should be able to eat, but he couldn't let himself be caught up in trying to pay for everything. They were here for the trial and he had no idea how long the Bayangor justice system might take to get the situation cleared up. So they ran, Varian dragging Yong back behind the stage to try to find somewhere to escape to.
'What's going on?' Yong asked breathlessly, 'Oh, hey! Ruddiger is back!'
'And he's a little thief,' Varian snapped, making Ruddiger shrink back at his anger. 'We need to lose those city watch guys. Do you know anywhere we could hide?'
'Um... I don't know. I've only ever really come here for the festival.'
'This way!' Varian heard one of the guards call, sounding far closer than before.
'There must be something! What about the Dragon Falls? Have you heard of those?'
This time Yong's eyes lit up and he pointed up towards the volcano. 'That's what the main lava flow used to be called before the volcano went dormant. It used to pour out from this lava vent that looks like a dragon's head.'
Varian's heart fell. Yong was pointing halfway up the mountain. They'd never be able to escape the city and reach it before they were caught by the guards. Yong seemed to realise his desperation as he quickly started looking around, his eyes alighting on several of the firework clusters nearby, waiting for the show to start. He grinned at one massive rocket shaped like a smiling dragon.
'We can use that!' he exclaimed, pushing Varian towards it.
'What?' Varian demanded, staring at it in shock. 'There's no way!'
'Trust me, it's big enough to carry us both. And look there! You can see how much black powder is in the internal packet. It's designed to fly for way longer than a normal firework before it explodes. It can get us there!'
Yong was already hurrying closer, turning the firework to angle out above the city towards the volcano.
'Hey!'
Varian spun around just as the first city guard appeared around the stage, sword in hand. He reacted immediately, throwing a sticky bomb that trapped him in place and kept the others from approaching quickly. But they were running out of time.
'Varian, come on!' Yong called and he spun to see he'd clambered aboard now, holding the fuse in one hand and a lit match in the other.
'We're gonna die,' Varian snapped, but jumped onto the dragon's head anyway. 'Ruddiger, find somewhere to hide out of sight! Get back to Prometheus if you can. We'll meet you there.'
Ruddiger scurried off immediately as Varian braced himself as well as he could, gripping the top of the dragon's open mouth as Yong lit the fuse and tossed it behind them. Only for it to land right on top of the fuse of another set of fireworks which began to burn.
'Oh, wait!' Yong exclaimed, realising his mistake.
Fwoom!
Varian yelped as the dragon rocket launched upwards, barely grazing the helmets of the city watch as it lifted into the sky leaving a trail of fire and smoke in its wake.
'Yong!' Varian shouted, tears streaming from his eyes at the force of the wind in his face.
'Hold on, Varian!' Yong shouted back.
Around them, the other fireworks were going off, exploding into dazzling colours that filled the sky and made the crowd below gasp with delight. Varian had no idea how, but Yong had managed to angle the firework just right so that they were sailing straight towards the volcano. But now they had a new problem.
'We have to jump!' Yong shouted, 'It's about to explode!'
'What?!' Varian shrieked as Yong crawled his way towards him.
'Jump!' Yong repeated and dragged Varian off the rocket moments before it exploded into a cascade of colourful sparks that quickly took the shape of a dragon. Varian had no time to admire it, the rocky side of the volcano rushing up towards them. He gripped Yong tightly and yanked a bubble trap from his bandolier, smashing it into his own chest. At once, the roaring wind was cut off as they were both encased within the bubble, their headlong crash slowing into a gradual descent.
'Woah!' Yong breathed, staring at the bubble around them, running his hand along its smooth surface. Varian focused on the ground before them, bracing himself as the bubble touched down and drew his collapsible staff to puncture its surface. At once, it disappeared and they landed awkwardly on the rocky slope, sending scree and loose rocks tumbling downwards behind them.
'Are you okay?' Varian asked, turning Yong to face him to he could check him over.
'That was amazing!' Yong exclaimed excitedly, throwing his hands into the air at the success of their narrow escape. 'We didn't die!'
'You are actually insane,' Varian commented drily, unable to believe that had actually worked.
'And look! We've got the best view of the fireworks!'
Yong pointed back to Bayangor where the actual firework show seemed to have started, impossible shapes forming in the sparks overhead. There were dragons that twisted through the sky, birds that flew about in formation, fish and deer and tigers all moving about in a way that could only be explained as magic. Varian was sorely tempted to stay and watch, but with what had just happened in the city, he knew he was here for a specific reason, not just to watch the show. He turned and just a few yards above them was the outcropping Yong had pointed out. Sure enough, it was shaped like a dragon's head, the mouth gaping open with what remained of the solidified lava flow that had once poured from it. It must have been a common sight if Demanitus had chosen it for the location of the trial.
'Yong, you need to get down this volcano and go home,' Varian explained and Yong's smile faded.
'What? Why?'
'I've got a job to do here,' Varian replied evasively, 'It's going to be really dangerous and I can't bring you along. You should head back to the inn. Take my equipment if you need but you've gotta get home to your family.'
'No way! I wanna stay and help with whatever it is you're doing! If this is so dangerous, you'll need help!'
'Yong, this isn't like the alchemy I've been showing you,' Varian insisted, 'It's not even like that fireworks or that rocket we rode. People have died doing this and I can't put you at risk like that.'
'But you're putting yourself at risk! What if you need help? I don't want you to die in there!'
'I'm not going to die,' Varian assured him gently, crouching to put his hand on his shoulder, 'But this is way too dangerous for you. You did your job; you got me here in one piece. Now you need to go home and work on your fireworks, okay? Become the pyrotechnician that'll blow the rest of these guys out of the water.'
Yong stared at him with such a deep well of sadness in his eyes that Varian had to pull him into a hug.
'I'll be okay,' Varian said, 'When I'm done here, I'll come back and visit you, okay?'
Yong was silent, starting to turn away and Varian sighed, hating that he had to break the kid's heart like this. But he turned towards the outcropping and began to climb upwards, drawing his staff to light the dragon's head to search for any sign of an entrance. It took a moment of searching but right at the base of the outcropping behind what once had been the flowing lava, was an oddly flat section of rock that stood out from the rest of the twisted and rocky landscape. Varian leaned in closer and as the light of his staff hit the surface, shimmering words started to appear, first in the Bayangorian language, then shifting to Coronan as if it knew Varian couldn't understand the former.
"No legs have I to dance, No lungs have I to breathe, No life have I to live or die And yet I do all three."
Varian grinned at the words, shaking his head. Demanitus and his riddles.
'You are fire,' he announced and the words faded from view. For a moment he feared he'd gotten the answer wrong, but then there was a silent hiss as an outline appeared in the rock in the shape of a doorway that slowly groaned as it swung inwards, a gust of hot air hitting Varian in the face.
'Let's do this,' he muttered to himself, just as the sound of scattering rock made him spin around.
Yong was sprinting right at him and Varian thought for a moment he was about to tackle him. Then he sidestepped and darted into the doorway.
'Yong!' Varian shouted, jumping inside after him, but he was already hidden by the darkness. Varian's voice echoed and he could hear Yong breathing nearby, but his eyes took far too long to adjust before the door closed behind them, sealing them in. Finally, the light from Varian's staff was enough to make out Yong crouching against the wall, breathing hard but looking up at Varian, defiant.
'I'm not letting you go running into danger alone!' Yong insisted as Varian glared at him in bafflement.
'Yong, you're way too young to be doing this!' he retorted, 'I'd never be able to live with myself if something happened to you in here.'
'And I couldn't live knowing I let you walk into a volcano to face whatever kind of danger alone!'
Varian growled and turned back to the door, calling, 'Fire!'
But the door remained stubbornly closed, refusing to budge even as he shoved and pushed on it. There was to be no way back out from this way. Which only left one direction they could go. He turned back to Yong who was still defiant in his decision and Varian stalked past him.
'Stay close to me,' he ordered, 'You do what I say, when I say it. And if anything happens, and I mean anything, you find somewhere safe to hide and get yourself out. Take my alchemy stuff and blast a hole in the volcano if you have to. Got it?'
Yong nodded, eyes bright with enthusiasm, but now tempered with a surprising understanding of the situation he'd raced headlong into.
'I can't believe this,' Varian muttered, marching down the tunnel with Yong trailing behind him.
Hugo hadn't been expecting the alchemist and the Bayangorian kid to launch themselves at the volcano on the back of a rocket. It made tailing them that much harder. He hesitated to follow, wondering what in the world they wanted to do up there, deciding that it had to be something important if they would risk blowing themselves up over it. But before he could leave the city and start the climb, Cyrus had intercepted him and dragged him into an alleyway.
'What have I done this time?' Hugo demanded, 'You seriously can't try to blame me for letting them get away like that.'
'You have new orders,' Cyrus explained, 'Follow that alchemist. He'll be entering a tunnel in the side of the volcano. You are to let him deactivate the traps that are inside, then steal the totem at the end. Meet me back here when you're done, got it?'
Hugo stared at him in bafflement. This was way outside his usual scope of works.
'What totem?' he demanded, 'What kind of traps? And who exactly is this kid?'
'Not important,' Cyrus replied, 'Now go before they get too much of a head start.'
He shoved Hugo out into the crowd again and he sighed, slipping away amongst the festival goers, snatching loose coin purses along the way. By the time he reached the point where he'd seen the alchemist and the kid land, there was no sign of them. But their tracks were easy enough to see in the recently disturbed rocks. He followed them up to the outcropping that the locals called Dragon Falls, only for them to disappear as if they'd taken flight or something. He crouched, examining the end of the tracks, before a faint shimmering caught his eye. There, on the flat piece of rock, a message was appearing in glowing red text, first in Bayangorian, then switching to Ingvarrian: "What lives as long as it eats but dies when it drinks?"
'Well that's easy,' Hugo commented, 'It's fire.'
A door appeared in the rock where there definitely hadn't been one before. Hugo gaped in surprise but quickly shook himself and slipped inside before his presence could be noted by anyone on the other side. He didn't know who this alchemist was or what this place was, but his job had suddenly gotten a whole lot more interesting.