Varian wasn't sure if he was relieved or irritated that Hugo was still in their camp by the time he woke up. On the one hand, he liked knowing where he was instead of having to constantly watch his back. But he'd much prefer if he'd just go away forever and leave them alone. He was already up by the time Varian stirred, glancing over with a grin as he fiddled with some gears and screws though Varian couldn't figure out what he was making.
'Morning, Goggles,' Hugo called and Varian rolled his eyes, ignoring him as he got breakfast underway.
'Man, you really do have trust issues,' Hugo continued, not seeming to mind Varian's back to him. 'What happened to you? Parents abandon you at birth or something?'
Varian wheeled around, fury in his eyes and Hugo blinked and for a brief moment looked startled, as if he might have realised he'd gone too far.
'Shut. Up,' Varian snarled, 'You don't know me, and you never will. Why are you even here? What's in it for you to complete these trials? What's your endgame?'
Hugo quickly composed himself and shrugged. 'I can't give away all my secrets just like that, Hairstripe. There'd be nothing to look forward to. Besides, you haven't exactly been forthcoming with your info, why should I?'
'Probably because I'm not a thief,' Varian retorted.
'Ugh, will you ever stop lording that over me? I've apologised and gave you the totem back!'
'Gonna take more than that to make it up to us.'
'So you do want me around! I knew it.'
Varian went back to ignoring him, offering Yong the small plate of bread, cheese and dried fruit, while Hugo once again ate from his pouch of snacks. By the time the sun was starting to chase away the chill of the air, they were on their way, Hugo trailing behind them once again as Varian buried his nose in his mother's journal.
'Do you know much about Galcrest?' Yong asked, trying to create more firecrackers while they walked.
'Not a lot,' Varian admitted, 'It's high up in the mountains to the north like Koto, but it's almost permanently covered in ice all year round. I think their main industry is minerals they mine from the mountains and animal furs. I suppose we'll have to grab some warmer clothes when we get closer.'
Yong shivered as if he was already feeling the cold. 'I don't like snow. It gets stuck in my boots and melts and makes my socks all wet.'
'Yeah, I hate it too,' he muttered, though for an entirely different reason. Every time it snowed in Corona, it sent him back to his disastrous journey into the city through the blizzard to beg for help for his father. He hated being reminded of his failure that day.
'Maybe you could use your Flynnoleum stuff to melt it?' Yong suggested and Varian grinned.
'Not a bad idea. Why don't you see if you can come up with something that can house it so I'm not throwing my orbs all over the place?'
Yong beamed, rummaging through Prometheus' bags for a scrap of paper and pencil. Hugo seemed interested now as he quickened his pace just enough to see over Yong's shoulder at what he started to draw. Varian didn't even notice until Hugo said, 'You should make that nozzle wider if you're wanting a bigger area of effect.'
He looked back to see Hugo looking down at Yong's drawings where he looked to be designing some kind of hand-held flamethrower.
'You think?' Yong asked, sounding torn between distrust and curiosity.
'Unless you're wanting a more concentrated flame,' Hugo replied, moving to walk alongside Yong now. 'Or you could make it adjustable with a couple of gears here.'
He tapped the picture and Yong nodded, making a note. Varian couldn't find anything to snap at Hugo if he was being genuinely helpful, so he stayed silent.
'How hot does your Flynnoleum burn, Varian?' Yong asked a few minutes later and Varian hesitated.
'What's Flynnoleum?' Hugo asked curiously.
'The fuel Varian uses to blow stuff up,' Yong explained before Varian could stop him.
'Oh, that green stuff you used on the fire?' Hugo asked and Varian sighed, giving him a terse nod.
'I don't actually know how hot it can get,' he finally admitted, 'But I usually try to keep it at around three and a half thousand degrees. I sort of destroyed my thermometres after that.'
'Wow! I suppose we'll need to create a specialised fuel tank for it then,' Yong decided and Varian wasn't sure who he was referring to when he said "we".
'There are ways you can chemically reinforce metal to resist heat,' Hugo explained and Varian couldn't help himself.
'Yeah, I used a chemical solution when I was forging a combustion chamber for a hot air balloon. Kept it from overheating.'
Hugo raised an eyebrow and Varian scowled, quickly turning away again. But despite his suspicions, he continued to listen as Hugo gave tips and pointers to Yong on his design, showcasing a surprising understanding of engineering; an understanding that most people wouldn't have. He glanced at him whenever he wasn't paying attention, noting the design of his clothes, his accent, everything he could pick up about him, and came to his conclusion.
'You're from Ingvarr, aren't you?' he finally asked during a break in his and Yong's conversation.
Hugo glanced at him and if he was surprised Varian had figured it out, he didn't show it. 'Sure. Took you this long to figure it out?'
Yong's eyes were wide, all reservations about Hugo vanishing as he asked, 'What's it like? Is it true the cities are one big machine? Does steam really power everything? Where do you get all the water from?'
Varian smirked at Hugo's alarm when faced with Yong's barrage of questions, trying to answer. He listened carefully to what he had to say, waiting to catch him out on something, but for the most part, everything he was saying seemed legitimate.
'It sucks, to be honest. Unless you're one of the rich, blue-bloods, there ain't nothing much to work for. You're always kept down in the mud, fighting each other like rats.'
Now that was definitely interesting. Hugo had a note of bitterness in his tone which only reinforced Varian's opinion that he was a professional thief in some capacity. To thrive in a kingdom like that sounded like it required some less than reputable skills. What he said about Ingvarr itself was pretty much what Varian had read about, but he had his own question.
'Where'd you get the mouse?' he asked and Hugo looked up again, face closing off.
'Made her,' he replied brusquely and Varian realised it was a sensitive topic. Yong didn't seem to notice.
'What mouse?'
Hugo huffed a sigh, glaring at Varian who just smirked back, before pulling the small mechanical mouse out of his pocket. It squeaked brightly and Yong's eyes widened in awe.
'It's so cute! What's its name? How'd you make it? What kind of power does it run off?'
'Her name's Olivia,' Hugo said quietly after a brief pause, as if he was contemplating responding at all. 'You pick up a knack for engineering when you live in Ingvarr. Runs the whole kingdom.'
From Varian's shoulder, Ruddiger hissed and Olivia squeaked back, poking out a small metal tongue at the raccoon. That was enough to set Ruddiger off, launching straight at Olivia and Hugo who yelped and stumbled back, trying to shield the mouse from the raccoon's fury.
'Get your pet, Goggles!' Hugo barked as Varian laughed.
'Ruddiger, come on, leave it,' he said and Ruddiger reluctantly returned to Varian's shoulder, still glaring daggers at the mouse.
'Psychotic fleabag,' Hugo muttered, stroking Olivia gently.
Leaving them to their conversation again, Varian returned to Ulla's journal, reading through the entries about her own journey to Galcrest.
"You know, I wasn't really sure about Donella at first, she was always so mysterious, like she was hiding something. When we met back in Nesdernia she was always a little... intense. But after spending these last few weeks travelling together, I think it's really just because she's so driven. She's got no time for nonsense which has actually worked out really well for us, and she always keeps me on track when I get a little distracted by my experiments. She likes to focus on the here and now, rather than what could be. And that's not a bad thing. She's... grounding. Keeps me focused. Even if sometimes I can't figure out what's going on in that head of hers. I'm just glad she's here. Never thought I'd say that about an Ingvarrian, but here we are I suppose."
That took Varian by surprise. His mother's travel partner was Ingvarrian as well? he glanced at Hugo, suspicions rising again, but he quickly dismissed them. He knew nothing about Donella and Ingvarr was a massive kingdom. The odds of them knowing each other were astronomically low. But the way his mother had described Donella sounded an awful lot like what Varian had been picking up with Hugo. Was that kind of cautious, abrasive attitude just a common Ingvarrian trait? Was Corona so different that it was affecting him like this? Varian didn't think he was the most open and trusting person in the world after everything, but compared to Hugo he was an open book.
His thoughts kept rattling through his mind for the rest of the day and into the evening as they made camp again. This time when Varian served his and Yong's dinner, he noticed Hugo glancing at them almost forlornly before quickly looking away again, masking his expression. He didn't have his pouch of trail mix. Varian hesitated, then rolled his eyes at how naive and sappy he was being. It had only been two days and already he was starting to lower his guard around Hugo. Granted it hadn't taken him that long to get used to Yong, but he was an open book and had already proven himself trustworthy many times over to Varian. Hugo had already showed his true colours since the first moment. But...
Varian heaved a sigh, preparing a third plate and offering it to Hugo.
'Aww, Goggles, how sweet!' he mocked him and Varian pulled the plate back.
'If you're going to be ungrateful, you're not getting anything,' Varian snapped and Hugo blinked.
'Okay, sorry. Thank you.'
Varian finally gave him the plate and stalked back to the fire. Yong grinned at him.
'What?' he asked quietly.
'He's not so bad,' Yong replied.
'Still don't trust him. Just don't get too comfortable around him.'
Yong nodded though Varian could see he was starting to be swayed. Fine. If Yong was convinced, Varian just had to keep an eye out for the both of them.
It took them two weeks to cross from Bayangor, through Pittsford and into Galcrest and over that time, Varian had tried to ditch Hugo a total of five different times. He tried trapping him again, using his sleep powder, even losing him on the road, but he always kept reappearing with that sarcastic grin that told Varian he was planning on sticking around. Yong didn't try to intervene in Varian's attempts, trusting his judgement, but Varian could tell he was starting to disapprove. When they started climbing the foothills towards the Galcrest border, Varian finally had to admit defeat, realising that losing him in the mountains where there were less places to go off the trail would be nearly impossible. Still, that didn't mean he had to be happy about it. When they reached a larger town, he managed to purchase a tent and bedroll for Yong, as well as warmer clothes for the both of them, but Hugo was on his own. Before they left he apparently had managed to secure his own equipment, but Varian didn't think he'd paid for them. Yong however was more distracted by the prototype flamethrower Hugo had started to help him with, borrowing the use of the town's forge to begin creating the necessary components. Again, Varian was struck by Hugo's skills, even if he apparently didn't have the upper body strength needed to actually shape the heated metal. Which left the task to Varian, naturally. Still, it was a welcome distraction, giving him something productive to burn his irritation on instead of punching Hugo right in his smug face whenever he made a sarcastic comment.
They were nearing the Galcrest capital under the guide of Ulla's journal when they stopped at a larger town at the bottom of the main mountain pass. The first thing Varian noticed was how absolutely cramped it was, with people spilling out of buildings, both public and private, as if they were fighting for space. The town guards, a group of harried looking men in thick leathers and fur coats, sighed at the sight of them.
'All accommodation's full here, boys,' one of them announced, 'Pass is still too dangerous to travel.'
'Is it blocked?' Varian asked but he shook his head.
'Not blocked, just high risk of avalanches. Most traders prefer to wait. Don't tell me you're some of the insane ones who want to try it.'
'Quite possibly,' Hugo replied, 'Goggles here is on a time limit.'
'Shut up,' Varian retorted, 'We are not. But there's really nowhere to stay?'
'Unless you want to sleep in the streets,' the man replied, 'And from the looks of that sky, there's a blizzard coming. I wouldn't recommend it. You'd be better off going back down the mountain to another town to wait.'
'And how long will we need to wait for?'
'Maybe three weeks?'
Varian wasn't opposed to waiting for safer conditions, but three weeks was way too long. He looked past the guard, past the massive stone gates that led the way to the mountain pass, and up to the road itself. For the moment, it was clear.
'Oh no, you're actually thinking about it, aren't you?' Hugo demanded.
'You're welcome to turn back,' Varian retorted, 'In fact, I encourage it! Yong and I can get to Galcrest just fine without you.'
'I highly doubt that.'
The guard shrugged as if their decision wasn't his problem. 'Well, I'd say it's your funeral but more likely, your bodies won't ever be found.'
Yong swallowed nervously. 'Maybe we should wait?'
Varian instead turned back to the guard and said, 'Is it just the avalanches we need to keep an eye out for?'
He shook his head disbelievingly but replied, 'No. There's also the snowgeists. They ambush the unwary traveller so if you're going to do this, keep your eyes peeled. They're nasty things and they like to blend in with the ice and rocks. Fire's pretty good at keeping them away.'
Varian nodded, turning back to Hugo and Yong, both of whom were looking like he'd actually gone insane.
'You guys don't have to come,' he said though it wasn't an insult aimed at Hugo. 'I can go up to Galcrest alone and... get our business done. I can always meet you back down the mountains.'
'No way are you going alone!' Yong exclaimed, 'You heard him! Those snowgeists, whatever they are, hate fire. I'm perfect for this!'
'And I ain't letting you or that totem out of my sight,' Hugo added reluctantly, 'Knowing you, you'd find another way down the mountain and leave me here.'
The thought had crossed Varian's mind, but he wouldn't abandon Yong like that.
'Well, you know what you're signing up for. Don't complain that I didn't give you a choice.'
Thanking the guard for his information, Varian led the group into town, having to fight their way through the crowds. He was jostled and shoved from all sides as people fought to get wherever they were heading. Without warning, Hugo's arm lashed out past him, grabbing not Varian, but a grimy looking man dressed in browns and blacks.
'Give it back,' Hugo snapped and the man twisted in his grip, but Hugo was firm. To Varian's surprise, the man finally relinquished one of Varian's coin purses that had been safely tucked away inside his jacket. Or at least he'd assumed it was safe. Hugo turned and offered it back to Varian, quickly pushing him onward again towards the massive stone gates.
'Thanks,' Varian said, baffled that Hugo would help him like that.
'If anyone's gonna steal your coin, it's gonna be me,' Hugo replied and Varian whipped his head around to glare at him. 'Oh, lighten up, Goggles. It was a joke!'
Varian rolled his eyes as they finally reached the gates, the area clearing enough for them to regroup and make sure they hadn't lost anything else to thieves in the crowd. This gate was also being guarded and the closest woman gave them a once over and seemed to find them wanting.
'You kids won't last an hour,' was all the warning she gave them.
'Sorry, but we have to try,' Varian replied and she shrugged, turning to the city walls. She heaved on a massive, partially frozen lever and with a grinding roar, the gates slowly parted to reveal the snow-covered road up into the pass.
'Last chance, kids,' the woman called but Varian only secured his fur hood over his head and began the climb, the others quickly forming up around him. Still, he couldn't stop himself from looking back as the gates closed behind them, hoping he wasn't sending them all to their deaths.