Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Got a frog in your throat?” Varian asked, breaking the silence. Ever since he and Yong left the temple, Yong hadn’t uttered a single word. Their adrenaline had worn off, and it appeared that Yong got hit the hardest by his exhaustion. Ruddiger perked up at Varian’s comment, leaving his spot on Yong’s shoulder. Startled by the movement, Yong looked up.

“Oh, yeah,” he paused, and then gave an airy laugh. “I mean no, I don’t! Sorry I’ve just been thinking a lot.”

“Gotcha,” Varian nodded, tightening his grip on Prometheus’ reins. As they turned down the street Yong had said he lived, he noticed that it was nearing daytime. The town was still graced by candlelight; it was beautiful. Varian wondered if he could stay a few more days, if only to spend more time admiring the night setting.

“That’s my house,” Yong pointed, and it easily stood out. It was wider than the other buildings, a stone path leading to it. Hanging in front of the door was a sign with what Varian assumed read “Xu’s”, with red candles hanging all around it. It was cozy, he noted. Yong slowly hopped off of Prometheus, and then gave a small smile to Varian. “Thank you,” was all he managed to get out. He looked so tired. Varian smiled back, nodding.

“Thank you .” He gave Yong a light hug, and off the kid went into the house. He ignored the little bit of sadness that came with saying goodbye, but he decided that it was silly. This wasn’t the end, he knew it. Once he was sure he had made it inside, Varian tugged on Prometheus’ reins, and began to head back to the hills from before. Ruddiger jumped back around Varian’s shoulders, his eyes conveying about the same amount of gloom as Varian’s did. But right before Varian could speak, a shout echoed down the road.

“Xu Yong, where in BAYANGOR have you been ?!” 

Varian blinked, wondering if that was a bad sign. He exchanged another glance with Ruddiger, who then leaped off of his shoulders and dashed towards Yong’s house. “ Ruddiger ,” Varian breathed out, but the raccoon was ignoring him, running up the walls and jumping onto the balcony. Varian frowned, trying to stop him with “Get back here!” but as he expected, Ruddiger was far too stubborn to listen. Ruddiger disappeared through an open window, and he was gone. Varian suppressed a groan, waiting a moment in hopes that his furry friend would come back, but he didn’t. Would it be fine if he climbed through the balcony as well? Wait, no. That was illegal.

So, with a sigh, he turned around, walking back up to the front door. As he went to raise his hand, he prayed that “my raccoon went into your restaurant” wasn’t as unsettling as it sounded. The door swung open, barely missing his face. 

“I can’t believe this!” Ah, it was Ming. Her face was scrunched up with anger as she stomped out-- well, attempted to stomp, she was still healing-- and completely ignored Varian. “A dragon, really ? You’ve had some outlandish excuses Yong, but when it comes to levels of absurdity, this one definitely takes the cake!”

“Give him a break, Ming.” And there was Jun, her voice was much calmer, but he could see her eyes twitching. “I’m sure there’s some… truth in what he’s saying.” She brought her lips together tightly. “ Somewhere .”

“It’s true!” Varian turned his head to see Yong, who’s eyes flickered between his sisters and back to Varian. He looked extremely stressed, and it appeared that Varian was definitely adding to that. He wanted to say something, but by the time he thought of a response, the conversation was carrying on. 

“Dragon or no dragon, you still snuck out.” That was a deeper voice, and Varian noticed that Yong wasn’t alone. A woman about Jun’s height was behind him, holding onto Yong’s shoulders. “You know the rules, Yong.”

“I know Mom, but--”

“I thought they knew?” Varian finally spoke up, and the group looked at him, surprised. Varian realized how he was definitely intruding on a family conversation, but pressed on. “I just… assumed there wasn’t a problem.”

Yong gave Varian a please stop talking look, which made him frown. Yeah, he definitely wasn’t supposed to be here. 

“What trial?” Ms. Xu asked, her eyes narrowing. 

“The one… in the temple,” Yong mumbled, and her eyes shot open.

“Excuse me?”

“The trial was in the temple,” Yong said quietly.

“And how did you get into the temple?”

“We kinda… sorta…” Yong drew his response out, fiddling with his hands as he braced himself for what he said next. “...broke in.”

Ming gave a surprised laugh as Ms. Xu’s face flashed between confusion, shock and anger. “Are you kidding me?”

Ming continued to laugh hysterically, whispering “oh my gosh” as Jun swatted at her to stop. Ms. Xu let go of Yong, stepping out of the house and down the path. She looked down, her hands on her hips as she thought. Yong moved beside Varian, avoiding eye contact as they waited. After some time had passed, she sighed. 

“And who is this?” she asked, and Varian immediately straightened, plastering a welcoming (and kind of forced) smile on his face.

“I’m Varian!” He tried to keep his voice high, as if that was going to lighten the mood. “Me and Yong met yesterday after his firework malfunctioned.” Based on Yong’s nervous glance, maybe that wasn’t the best introduction. “He’s a very smart kid!”

“I know,” Ms. Xu sighed, turning around. “Which is why we need to keep an eye on him. His mind gets way ahead of his common sense.” She walked over to Varian, eying him in suspicion. “But why did he go to the temple with you, exactly?”

Varian’s gaze flickered to Yong, before returning nervously to her. “Well, it’s a long story.”

“We don’t open until seven. Take your time.” She crossed her arms. Varian gulped.

And so he did. Varian ran through his words, not entirely sure as to how to explain their situation. He tried to fit in as many details as he could, the library, the seven trials, the fireworks, and Yong’s effort. “He was amazing, really, his gunpowder’s incredible,” he said. “I couldn’t have made it without him.”

The questioning expression on Ms. Xu’s face was left unchanged. “Hm. Well, that’s good to know. I don’t suppose you gained anything from this endeavor?”

“We gained--” Varian started, before remembering that they… hadn’t really gained anything. The totem had been stolen. Well, maybe not stolen , but it was taken! But that didn’t make their efforts pointless, right? They still had… “Friendship?” Varian answered, and though Yong’s face cracked into a smile, his mother didn’t seem to appreciate it.

“Varian, as much as I value your bond with my son, I don’t think these little trials are what’s best.” She folded her hands together. “Thank you for your kindness, but I believe that this is the end of this. I respect your ambition, but please respect my choices as well.”

“I’m sorry,” Varian said. “I had no idea you…”

“I know,” she said. “But this is what’s best. For him and for you.” She turned to Yong, gesturing him forward. “Say goodbye.”

Ms. Xu then disappeared back into the house, Ming and Jun following after her. Ming was still giggling to herself as Jun helped her back inside, frowning. Yong kept his gaze at the ground as he shuffled back and forth. “I’m sorry I lied,” he mumbled.

“ Hey ,” Varian breathed out, crouching down so that he was meeting Yong’s eyes. “It’s okay.” 

“I should have told you, though. I knew it was dumb, but… I wanted to be a part of something, I guess.” Yong smiled weakly. “Something that doesn’t just blow up in my face.”

“I get it,” Varian nodded. “But… You’re a brilliant kid, Yong. You’ll have so many more opportunities in the future.. Better, safer , opportunities. With people who know what they’re doing. And… it may take a while for the town to come around, but trust me, they will.” He placed a hand on Yong’s shoulder. ”Don’t give up just yet. I have a good feeling this isn’t the end for you.” He paused for a moment before adding, “ Or your fireworks.”

Yong’s face lit up before he laughed. “Thanks, Varian. It means a lot that you actually believe in me.”

“Of course I believe in you,” Varian assured him, and he meant it. This wasn’t the end of Yong’s adventure, he was sure of it. But for now, they had to wait. Even if it meant going against what they wanted. Varian stood up, crossing his arms as he smirked playfully. “And I also believe in listening to what your parents tell you. So , I’ll leave you back to your mom. You’ll stay out of trouble, right?”

Yong paused, tapping a finger to his chin before he nodded. “I’ll consider it.”

“You better,” Varian chuckled, going in for one last hug. When he pulled back, he savored the content look on Yong’s face. Such a sweet kid. “I’ll make sure to drop in some time before I leave, okay? You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Okay,” Yong laughed. “You’ve gotta check out my mom’s rice pudding before you go though! Mom never lets anyone out before she’s stuffed ‘em full.”

“Alright,” Varian grinned, waving Ruddiger towards him. The raccoon made sure to brush against Yong lovingly before hopping back onto Varian’s shoulder. 

And that was it. Varian propped himself onto Prometheus, said one last goodbye, and then was back to-- Well, he didn’t really have anywhere to go other than the fields. He sighed, rubbing his eyes, beginning to miss the comfort of his bed back home.

***

“Excuse me!”

Varian’s eyes fluttered open, squinting as he tried to focus on the figure in front of him. “What?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, but you are in front of my shop!”

Oh, that’s right. As he pushed himself off of the ground, he remembered how his ride with Prometheus was cut short due to his exhaustion. He didn’t remember being in the middle of the street, though.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize--”

“Don’t worry my boy, everything’s alright!” He smiled under his long, graying mustache. “Are you interested in buying any clothing? All hand spun silk only costs fifty gold pieces, a real deal!”

“Fifty pieces?” Varian repeated, eyes widening. Now, he wasn’t a fashion expert. That was more Eugene’s thing. But he knew enough to notice how inexpensive that was. “But…  It must take you months to make that. I couldn’t just--”

“Oh please, my boy! Only the best for the Loong Festival!” the man said with a grin. He patted Varian’s shoulder as he walked past him, into the shop. “I hope you consider my offer!” Right before he closed the door, he appeared to reach for something. Before Varian could say anything, the man looped a yellow bandana around his neck. “Until we meet again!” he beamed, and left Varian without another word.

Varian blinked, his hand coming up to the bandana. It was so soft, reminding him of the overly showy getups Rapunzel somehow talked him into wearing. He smiled wistfully before looking over to Ruddiger. “Do you remember Yong mentioning a festival?” Ruddiger shook his head, and Varian frowned, stretching his arms as he tried to go over their conversations the day before. Well, if there was a festival, he wouldn’t mind indulging in a little bit of fun before he left for… Wherever he was going.

“I bet we can find some good equipment, what do you think?” Ruddiger jumped up excitedly, running over to Prometheus. Varian hoisted himself onto the donkey, looking through his backpack. He’d broken quite a few things when he had hit the wall so harshly. Though he still had some materials left in the bag tied to Prometheus’ saddle, the smartest choice was to get some more. Better to be over prepared, he thought.

As they wandered through the streets of Huoyan once more, they stopped at any science related shop they could find, as well as stocking up on food. The deeper they went into the town, the more people they saw in celebration. It was so lively, even more so than the day before. Red painted the town through bright clothing and paper strung over windows. Friends and family rejoiced; singing echoed through the streets, accompanied by the upbeat sounds of string instruments. 

And Varian, despite his attempts to politely decline, kept finding himself being overwhelmed with tokens from the overjoyed citizens. From hats to dumplings to firecrackers, his arms became a cornucopia of gifts. He felt guilty for not having anything in return, but when he offered whatever mixture he had on hand, they assured him it was none of his concern. So Varian placed the items in Prometheus’ bag, wondering which ones Yong might like.

After Varian thanked an especially kind vendor for the glass flasks he bought, he was caught off guard by the dance that he saw parading down the street. A group of men held up a bamboo dragon, twirling it elegantly through the air. Their movements were so fluid, as if they were born to do this dance. It was amazing.

“Interested in a rice cake?” Someone said from behind him, startling him out of his trance. He turned to a girl right in front of him, a look of realization donning on her face. “Oh, Varian! How are you?”

“I’m great, Jun,” he answered, grinning. “I had no idea that the festival was happening!”

“Quite a pleasant surprise, huh?” Jun placed a hand on her hip, hugging the plate of rice cakes. “The Loong Festival has always been a favorite of ours. When we were little, Ming, Yong and I used to spend hours down by the river with our boats. There’s a lot of magic that comes with these sorts of celebrations. Not to mention, we don’t mind the extra income at Xu’s,” she said with a wink.

Varian chuckled. “I told Yong that I’d stop by before I left. You think I could have a moment with him?”

“Aw, of course! Anything for my little brother,” Jun smiled. “Mom probably has him serving customers, so I could cover for him for a while.”

“Really? I could always wait until you close, I don’t want to--”

“Don’t worry about it,” she laughed, using her free hand to push Varian lightly. “The look on his face will be totally worth it. Just don’t take the whole day, okay?”

“I won’t,” Varian assured her. “Is there anything I can give you in return?”

“Like I said, Yong’s happiness is just enough. And you seem to have a knack for bringing it to him,” Jun said firmly, a warm smile spreading across her face. “I’m gonna try and pass out as many of these as I can before I head back, but you can go ahead and meet up with Yong! It’s pretty close to his break, anyways.”

“Alright,” Varian nodded, before pausing, looking down at her plate. They looked delicious. “You think I can take a few?”

Jun rolled her eyes, chuckling. “Yes, Varian, of course.”

***

Varian had expected the restaurant to be crowded, but not to this extent.

As he attempted to push through the crowd of patrons, he looked around for Yong. The inside of Xu’s was similar to most restaurants he’d entered, though the decor was very different and quaint. There was a round table in the middle of the room, with wooden tables surrounding the outside. Almost every seat was taken, excited people laughing and celebrating together. Those who weren’t sitting were crowding around the bar at the far end of the building, a few groups at a time leaving with big bags of food. Varian was attempting to go up there, fairly sure that he heard Yong’s voice shouting over all of the noise. He had just barely passed the main table when he ran into something, knocking him back into a couple behind him.

“Hey!” a man grumbled, a woman holding onto his arm.

“I’m so sorry, I just--” Varian looked for whoever he bumped into, but they had already dissolved into the crowd. Before Varian had a chance to overthink the situation, he heard a peppy voice from behind him.

“Varian!” The kid took no time in jumping to hug him, a wide grin on his face.

“Hey, Yong,” Varian returned the hug, Ruddiger chittering in excitement. “What’s up,” he asked, pointing his fingers. 

“Not much, it’s only been, like, eight hours?” Yong laughed, and Varian noticed that he was donning different clothing from before. He was still wearing red robes, but they were hidden by a flour covered apron. There was a single hand print on it, matching the one right on Yong’s right cheek. Varian couldn’t help but smile at that. “You look really tired.”

“Do I?” Varian asked, holding his hands up to eyes, wondering if there were bags there. It wouldn’t be the first time someone pestered him for not getting much rest. “Well, I guess that makes sense. I’m surprised to see you so lively, I would’ve guessed you’d be sleeping in.”

“It’s my youth,” Yong stated matter-of-factly, which made Varian chuckle. “Not to mention, I couldn’t miss out on the festival! Jun was able to convince Mom to let me go out today!”

“Really?” Varian blinked. “I thought she--”

“Grounded me? Yeah, me too,” Yong said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But we talked about it this morning and she just left me with a ton of chores around the restaurant. And I promised I would stay away from explosives for now.”

“For now,” Varian repeated, not entirely convinced. “Well, I was thinking Ruddiger and I could grab a bite and then we’d go see some more of the festival before we left. What do you think?”

“That sounds great!” Yong nodded enthusiastically, rubbing his hands off on his apron before grabbing onto Varian’s arm. “Let’s go see Ming, I bet she can get us something good!” He paused, looking down at everything in Varian’s arms. “Why don’t we get a bag for that? I don’t want you to drop anything.”

Varian gave a relieved sigh. “Thank you. I’ve been nervous about that for hours.”

Going to the back of the restaurant was surprisingly easy now that Yong was leading him. A mini path formed just as they passed through, though no one responded to Yong’s greetings. Varian noticed how Yong’s head eventually ducked down after a few customers murmured to one another. This must’ve been what Yong was talking about before. Varian pursed his lips together, reminding himself to bring it up later. 

After tying a knot on Varian’s bag, Yong hopped up onto a bench, Varian taking the seat beside him. Behind the bar were a few shelves stocked with beverages and cutlery. On the left of the shelves was a wooden door, which Varian assumed led to the kitchen. There were only a few other people around them, most of them sipping out of sparkling glasses and talking quietly.

“Miiiing!” Yong called, and Varian had to hold back a laugh when a long groan came out from behind the door. The door then bursted open, Yong’s sister stalking over with a frown.

“ What ?” she seethed. “I’m taking off work just to help Ming cover for you today. I swear if you’re trying to pull me into one of your projects--”

“I was just going to ask if you could get my friend and I a drink,” Yong said politely, with a pout. Ming’s face scrunched up, and then she sighed.

“Okay, whatever. I’ll be back.”

Ming disappeared behind the door, stomping. 

“I see that her leg’s healed,” Varian commented, and Yong chuckled.

“Yeah, Jun went out and bought her some elixir last night. Thankfully because of the festival it was super inexpensive,” Yong explained, and Varian wondered if healing solutions like that were common in Bayangor. He’d never attempted one personally, mainly because he was almost certain it’d have the opposite effect. Tempering with potable mixtures wasn’t exactly his strong suit. 

Yong sighed, resting his face in his hands. “Ming’s still pretty mad, though. She’s been, I don’t know. Ever since… After she started working at the factory, she’s been different. And anytime I try to talk to her about it, she shuts me out. I just don’t get it.”

“Maybe she needs space,” Varian offered, though he wasn’t entirely sure what to say. He’d never had siblings, unless you’d count Rapunzel. “Some time to breathe.”

“I guess,” Yong shrugged, quiet for a moment before his face lit up. “Have you ever gone boat racing before?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Varian said, shaking his head.

“What?” Yong gaped, as if that was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard. “But-- Corona’s an island , right?”

“Right,” Varian laughed. “But I grew up in Old Corona, which is a little further inland.”

“That’s no excuse,” Yong frowned, crossing his arms. “Well, that’s our first course of action. Then we’ll paint lanterns, eat zongzi, get firecrackers--”

“Not on my watch,” Ming interrupted, slamming down a steaming bowl. “If I hear that you even looked at a firecracker, or a firework, or anything, I’ll have you gutted like one of the catfish.” 

“Okay,” Yong squeaked out quietly, and Ming went right back behind the door.

“I think I get what you mean,” Varian sighed, realizing he’d been holding his breath. “She seems very tense.”

“Yeah,” Yong mumbled before picking up the chopsticks on top of the bowl and leaning forward. He popped one of the rice balls into his mouth, humming appreciatively. Varian reached for the other pair of chopsticks, not entirely sure how to go about using them. He had a faint memory of Lance making something that required them before, probably some kind of dumpling, but Varian wasn’t exactly the best with handling the chopsticks. After several attempts to get a rice ball out of the bowl, Yong laughed, and patted him on the shoulder.

“I’ll go get you a spoon,” he said through a smile, leaving Varian to glare at Ruddiger, who seemed to be enjoying his lack of grace. The racoon wrapped himself around Varian’s neck, giving a relaxed chitter. 

“This place is nice, huh?” he asked, and Ruddiger nodded. “Maybe we could stay here a few more days. I mean, there’s no need to rush.” Varian thought back to the man the night before, grinning as he held the totem in his hand. He sighed. “Or maybe not. I mean, we have no idea where the next trial is, or whether we needed the first totem to continue!” He had to keep searching his mother’s journal, he’d only read the bits and pieces that were in english, so he wasn’t left with a lot of information. He frowned, running a hand through Ruddiger’s fur. “We’re completely lost.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” someone said beside him, and Varian immediately tensed. He turned to the left, and was met with a familiar, obnoxious smirk. “I mean, let’s be real. Sure, you may be going out on a limb here and have no clue what you’re doing. But hey, you’ve still got way more knowledge than most guys going on this wild goose chase. Which includes, let’s see… just you?” The man gave a light laugh. “Can’t lose if you’re not really competing, right?”

“You!” was all Varian managed to get out, a distressed shout that caused several people around them to look their way. Varian shrunk, trying to keep his voice at a lower level. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought you’d be happy to see me,” the man said as he leaned forward, one arm resting on the bar. “ Especially since I gave you that gift.”

“What gift?” Varian asked. The man lazily pointed to his backpack, which Varian pulled off, causing Ruddiger to jump down onto the floor. He growled at the man, who just smiled and waved. Once Varian opened the bag, his eyes widened, caught by the red cylinder inside. “How did you-- Why did you give this back to me?”

“You’re not very alert, so it was easy to slip it back inside,” the man shrugged, and Varian thought back to when he’d ran into someone moments before. He did have the slightest memory of seeing someone in green, out of the corner of his eye…

Now that Varian had a good look at the man, he was younger than what Varian had guessed. Probably about his age. Under a dark green cloak appeared to be armor, which was odd since this man looked nothing close to a soldier. Varian straightened himself as he continued, mentally preparing himself for the worst.

“And besides, I thought long and hard about what you had said, about you two winning the trial fair and square. And you know what,” the man leaned even closer from before, his green eyes now clear from behind his round glasses. “I think you’re right. We’re looking for the same exact thing, you and I. ‘Got a lot in common.”

“I don’t think so,” Varian frowned. “We’re quite alright with where we are, thank you.”

“But wouldn’t an addition to your party benefit you?” The man asked, tilting his head to the side. “Come on, Freckles. Use your brain here. You know I can help.”

“How?” Varian questioned, though he wasn’t expecting the answer to change anything. He was already tired of this conversation. Their first impression hadn’t gone too well, and this definitely wasn’t a step up.

“Well, for starters, I know most of the kingdoms inside and out. Anywhere you want to go, you’re covered. And, I bet you’ll appreciate this one, I’m an engineer. You could use someone else with that skill set, especially when you’re holding your own against some big metal automaton.” 

“If you’re so useful, why didn’t you help us earlier?” Varian pointed out, searching for reasons to be upset with the man. Yes, Varian saw the pros to accepting this offer. But it just didn’t feel right. Something about him gave Varian an odd feeling in his stomach, and he couldn’t wait to just get away from him.

“Change of heart, remember?” The man almost looked pained. Almost. “I wasn’t thinking clearly last night, but now that I understand who you are, I--”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Varian frowned, heading for wherever Yong disappeared to.

“Varian Ruscher, Royal Alchemist of Corona.” The man recited, and Varian froze, keeping his back to the man. “Believe it or not, but your face is pretty well known. Smaller towns like this one might be fooled, but once you head to the other trials, your presence won’t be taken lightly.”

Varian gulped, unsure of whether this was a threat or not. So he kept his guard up, turning slowly. “And what does that imply, exactly?”

There was a moment of silence, and Varian struggled to keep his breath steady. So what if this guy knew him? It didn’t matter. There wasn’t any reason for him to be worried. He shut his eyes tightly, wondering how much this guy knew. Maybe it was the same as Yong, only the good things. Yeah. It’s fine.

“Let’s just say you’ve made quite a few enemies over the years.” There was nonchalance in the man’s voice as he spoke, which made Varian even more nervous. What did he know? Because depending on what it was, it could completely flip the tone of the conversation. “And hey, I get it. Mistakes happen. But this isn’t the ever loving and forgiving land of Corona.” Varian scowled, turning back to face the man. 

“I understand that,” he said, slowly. “But I took that risk, and I’m fully aware of the consequences that might follow,” he glared. “I’m also aware that no amount of sweet talking is going to sway me that easily. I’ll do just fine without your assistance , thank you,” he finished, trying to mimic the man’s grin.

The man was silent for a moment, his expression blank and unreadable. He stood up, walking over to Varian, who tensed when noticing the height the man had on him. 

“Okay, okay. Whatever you say,” he said, sighing. Varian was not at all convinced. “But at least consider it, alright? I’m really just trying to help. We’re on the same side.” Yup. Not convinced. The man paused for a moment, running a hand through his hair. (Which had a super odd cut, by the way. Was that an undershave? He’d seen Eugene make some interesting choices before, but never that. )

Varian didn’t realize he was zoning out until the man waved his hand in front of his face, trying to initiate a handshake. Varian’s face heated up in embarrassment, and he reached out to shake his hand. 

“The name’s Hugo, by the way,” the man said with a captivating smile. At least, it would’ve been captivating if Varian wasn’t close to punching him. Not that he had too good of a reason yet, but he could find one. Maybe. “Hugo Blanchet.”

“Blanchet?” Varian repeated, giving the sweetest, yet most sarcastic smile he could muster. “Isn’t that charming.”

Hugo frowned, not commenting.

And that was the end of it. Varian spun on his heel and headed back to the kitchen (after putting down a few gold pieces to pay, of course) where he assumed Yong was. It was rather odd that he’d yet to show up… But never mind that, he was just so relieved that he’d escaped that annoyance-- Oh, sorry, he means Hugo Blanchet . Hugo the gorgeous, lovable engineer that had been gracious enough to offer his assistance. Hugo the meddling halfwit who actually expected Varian to cave after only knowing him for what, a few hours? Not that Yong was too different, but he was kind, and not at all the irritating, rude, disrespectful--

“Oh, hey, Varian! I’m sorry I took so long, we have like twenty different kinds of spoons and I wasn’t sure which one would fit you,” Yong said, and Varian almost ran right into him. Yong’s eyes widened, probably picking up on Varian’s frustration. “Woah, what’s up? ...Did you not like the rice balls?”

“I-- No, I’m sure those were amazing!” Varian said, holding his hands up. “I just…  Can we get out of here? I need some air.”

Yong frowned, looking concerned. “Did something happen? You looked like you were trying to run from something.” He gasped. “Is this… Royal Alchemist stuff? Are you being hunted?” Yong held up the spoon in a defensive position, squinting.

“I’m fine, really,” Varian assured him with a breathy laugh. “I guess I’m just too excited to go out and see more of the festival! We’ve got some boat riding to do, right?” he asked, smiling.

Though Yong looked skeptical, he nodded enthusiastically. “That sounds great! I’ll go ask Ming if she still has our boat from last year!”

Yong ran off, weaving through the few chefs in the kitchen as Ruddiger scurried after him. Varian crossed his arms, suddenly becoming very weary of what he was going to do now. Should he tell Yong that he had the totem? Clearly that would make the kid happy, but what if it made him want to leave for the other trials? Varian wanted Yong to be safe; he couldn’t put him in harm's way again. So maybe he should just keep the totem bit to himself. Have a day of fun, and then head out to Koto. That was his only option.

***

“Okay, so one plate of steamed vermicelli rolls, a bowl of fried shrimp, and a serving of  cashews, is that all?” Jun asked as she placed the food in front of a very pleased patron. 

“Actually,” he began, waving over to Ming. The girl rolled her eyes and made her way over to the table. “How about something nice for this lady here? Perhaps a bottle of champagne?” He said, flashing a flirtatious smile.

“I work here,” Ming gritted out, walking right past him. He frowned, and Jun left without a word. Unless you counted the giggling.

“I see you’re still quite a charmer, Hugo.” A woman said, sitting next to him. She was dark skinned with bright green eyes like Hugo’s. Her attire was similar as well, a green uniform with her black hair pulled into a ponytail.

“Why are you here, Nyari?” Hugo asked, tiredly. “Other than just to tease me.”

“I’m not teasing you,” she smiled. “Just observing.”

“Right,” Hugo nodded, taking a sip of his drink. He angled himself so that he was facing her. “So what’s the deal?”

“I’m here to replace you,” Nyari said, and Hugo’s eyes widened before she laughed. “I’m kidding! No, Don wanted me to check in, just in case things weren’t going smoothly.” She looked around, frowning. “Which, guessing by your lack of company right now, they aren’t.”

“I’m handling things just fine, thank you. It’s only been what… a few hours? Your expectations are a little too high for me.”

“I guess we assumed a little too much,” Nyari shrugged. “I’m surprised you didn’t just approach the son immediately. ‘Worked some of your magic.”

Hugo’s face flushed. “I don’t do that anymore, and you know that!”

Nyari smirked. “Yeah, yeah. I remember. You’re a changed man and all. So very mature.”

After a moment of Hugo gobbling up his food, Nyari sighed.

“Anyways, I’m not here to only check in. I’ve also been employed to tell you the time frame for your little adventure.” She reached into her leather bag, pulling out a piece of paper. She scanned over it, and then handed it to Hugo. “Don’s expecting you to be ready by next April.”

Hugo looked surprised, checking over the paper to prove this. She was right, there on the parchment with threateningly clean cursive was an order from Don. “So less than a year? She really has the bar set high for us, huh?”

“This isn’t that out of the ordinary, Hugh,” Nyari said, crossing her arms. “You know the mission she gave me in North Galcrest last year? I only had three months.”

“But you rush everything,” Hugo explained. “I’m sure you could’ve done that in a week if you wanted to.” He then grinned and added, “No wonder she doesn’t want you helping me. Can’t risk this being sloppy.”

Nyari rolled her eyes. “I’m going to ignore that comment and keep moving,” she said, throwing a small bag his way. “She wanted to give you a little extra tip for yesterday. But make sure you spend it on something other than just food, okay? Get your priorities straight.”

“Of course,” Hugo nodded, waiting for Nyari to be on her way. She frowned, standing up and ruffling up his hair.

“Don’t be dumb, and don’t be a jerk, alright?” she asked. 

“Wouldn't dream of it, RiRi,” he said through his food, and as he waved her goodbye, he realized something. “Wait, Nyari!”

She stopped, sighing. “What? Do you want me to pay for your meal?”

Hugo rolled his eyes. “No. But I do have another favor,” he said, holding up the bag of coins.

Nyari turned around, crossing her arms. “I’m listening.”

***

“So what do you want to do next?” Yong asked Varian, feeding a stick of tanghulu to Ruddiger. They had just attempted a boat race (emphasis on attempted, Varian had tipped the boat over. The race ended before they’d gotten back to shore.) Even so, it was still fun. Varian thought about Yong's question for a moment, before shrugging.

“I’m not sure, whatever you want!”

“I hate it when people say that,” Yong groaned, which made Varian chuckle. Yong spun around, looking at all of the activities that surrounded them. “I know we’ve got to do some more boat racing tonight. With all of the fireworks, it’ll be so pretty!”

“As long as we’re above water.”

Yong laughed, “I guess we can paint lanterns now?”

“You sound unsure,” Varian teased.

“You know what, maybe we just won’t paint any lanterns. You’ll have to figure it out by yourself,” Yong huffed, though Varian could see he was struggling not to laugh.

“I don’t know, I’m pretty sure I can handle it. I’ve had some painting lessons from the best artist in Corona,” Varian said, putting his hands on his hips. “I think you’re just scared of my talent.”

“Scared? Oh yeah, you wish I was scared,” Yong said, squinting and pointing a thumb at himself. “I’ve lived in this town my whole life, my experience can do circles around your so-called talent.”

“Is that a challenge?” Varian asked, raising a brow.

Yong didn’t even have to answer, for the two of them raced off towards one of the many tents the townspeople had set up. For the next few hours, they vigilantly went around, taking part in whatever they could find.

They made quite a few lanterns, Yong’s being red with yellow dragons painted around it, while Varian used blue lanterns and painted on stars. Then Yong had brought them to a smaller stand, where an older woman was making zongzi. Varian was proven to be fairly good at making them, while Yong… well, let’s just say there was a little bit of fire, but the burnt taste wasn’t too appaling.

 Following the sound of music, Yong discovered a group of musicians who were performing traditional pieces. Varian was fascinated by their instruments, his favorite being a seven-stringed instrument called a guqin. After listening and watching others dance along, they met a young man who was carefully making beautiful couplets on red paper, and then hanging them up around outside of his house. Yong and Varian attempted to make one (Varian brainstorming what to write while Yong translated it), but it was nowhere near as beautiful as the man’s. He assured them that it was fine, advising them to place them outside their own homes.

“For a competition, we’ve been working together an awful lot,” Yong said, after they finished helping a family clean up around their small workshop. They were walking through the marketplace, occasionally stopping if something caught their eye. Yong held a large bag of gifts for his family, with several small dragon figurines and books he thought were cute. 

Varian laughed. “Yeah, but I think it’s more fun that way.”

“Still not a competition,” Yong pouted, making Varian laugh once more. “Anyways, is there anything else you want to do? There’s still plenty of more food we can try, and I know there’ll be a ton more dancing and music later, and of course we could set off firecrackers…”

“I don’t want Ming coming for our necks,” Varian admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I’m definitely up for eating some more, the food here is heavenly.” Ruddiger chittered in agreement. “And you know I’m up for some music. How about we--”

“ Hey Varian! My dear friend! My favorite companion!” Varian was surprised to turn to see none other than Hugo wading through the crowd to get to them, waving with a smile on his face. “And here I thought I’d lose you in all of the commotion!”

Now, Varian’s immediate thought was to go and yell at this guy for trying to play this card again, how on earth was he not taking the hint, but he didn’t think that would be setting a great example for Yong. And it didn’t seem right to cause a commotion, either.  “What are you doing here?” he asked instead.

“Enjoying the celebration, of course,” Hugo explained, moving so that Varian and Yong were between Hugo and the wall, basically caving them in. “Come on, you really think I’d miss out on all of this?”

“But why are you here ?” Varian deadpanned, crossing his arms and moving forward.

Hugo was quiet for a moment before sighing. “Alright, you wanna know the reason I’m here? It’s because I really messed up with my apology. I’m not too great with people.”

“Says the one who’s all talk,” Varian scoffed.

“You’re the guy from last night, right? Who took the totem?” Yong asked.

“That’s me,” Hugo nodded, and he had the same ‘sincere’ exterior from before that made Varian uneasy. “I still have to make up for what I did. I realized that giving the totem back wasn’t enough to regain your trust, clearly it was going to take a lot more work.”

“The totem?” Yong’s eyes lit up, and he looked over to Varian. “You didn’t tell me he gave it back.”

“I,” Varian blinked, unsure of how to respond. “I didn’t think it would make a difference, I’m sorry I didn’t--”

“It doesn’t really change anything, I guess,” Yong looked at Hugo, like he was trying to figure him out, before looking back at Varian. “But that’s still pretty cool of him to do that!”

“It’s pretty cool of you to think that,” Hugo smiled. “You were the kid with all of the fireworks, right?”

“That was me!” Yong exclaimed, proudly. “I’m Yong, by the way!’

“You’ve got a lot of talent then, Yong. Those things are hard to make,” Hugo began. “I personally have never been able to get the science with the gunpowder quite right. You see, I’m more of an engineer myself. Not too big on the chemical side of things. It’s pretty impressive that a kid like you could perfect something so easily.”

“Thank you!” Yong beamed.

“You’re very welcome,” Hugo grinned, crossing his arms. “So, what’s your angle with the Eternal Library? Surely a kid like you has great plans for the future.”

“Well, I--”

“He’s not coming with us,” Varian said, before realizing what he said. “ Me, I mean with me ! Gosh, I don’t get what your point is here! I already told you that I didn’t need your help!”

“You don’t need to be so harsh about it,” Hugo said. “Though I’m not surprised now that I see you won’t even let sweet Yong here join you. ‘Must have some messed up trust issues...”

“He’s a kid ,” Varian snapped. “It’s a completely different circumstance.”

“I don't think so,” Hugo shook his head. “To me, it seems like you’re just too set on doing this by yourself. Like one person could handle the Eternal Library all alone. It’s pretty selfish.”

Unable to come up with a response, Varian just frowned, and looked to Yong. “Come on, we don’t have to deal with this right now. Let’s just go and--”

Varian was cut off by a piercing shriek, and the sound of commotion around them. Suddenly, all of the townsfolk in the marketplace were running spastically, looking extremely frightened.

“What’s going on?” Hugo asked, trying to grab their attention. 

“I know it wasn’t me this time,” Yong breathed out, noticing that a few people were glaring at him in passing. “At least… I hope not.”

“Hey!” Varian finally managed to stop someone, noticing it was the lady who had helped them make the zongzi. “What are you running from?”

“It's terrible,” she sobbed, holding her hands to her chest. “We went to see the spirit. But what we saw could not possibly have been him. I do not understand!”

“The spirit?” Yong asked, looking surprised. 

She nodded. “You must take shelter! It is no longer safe!” And then the woman ran off, following the rest of the frightened group. Right after she had left, a loud growling noise came from what sounded like before the street, and Yong grabbed ahold of Varian’s hand.

“We have to get out of here!” He yelled, as the growling sounds and screaming of people had become too loud. Varian was shocked as a large tile was thrown into the air, crashing down next to them. Whatever they were dealing with, it was powerful. 

Yong led them into a small, abandoned building. Once he decided they were safe, Yong sighed.

“I can’t believe Loong would do that.”

“Loong? Isn’t that the dragon you’re celebrating?” Varian asked.

“Yeah, but what the lady said didn’t make any sense. Loong doesn’t visit the Living Realm any more. And even if he did, he was a protector of our town.” 

“Then why is it attacking?” Hugo asked, glancing out of a dusted window. 

“I couldn’t see why, unless…” Yong trailed off, shaking his head.

“Unless?” Varian urged him to continue, mildly concerned. 

“Unless it isn’t actually Loong,” Yong finished, bringing his hands together anxiously.

Varian was confused for a moment, before he realized what Yong meant. “Do you mean the automaton?”

Yong nodded, biting his lip and beginning to pace. “Or it’s an actual dragon, but that doesn’t make sense either. They're migrating south...”

“But that’s… We destroyed that thing! How could it still be functioning?” The chemical that Varian had used was supposed to stay for a long period of time, though if he thought about it, that was the first real time he had tried it out. But even so, there hadn’t been any motion there since the night before, so how could it have been activated?

“We won’t know until we go see it,” Hugo said, turning over to look at them. “I’m going to go and shut it down. But if you’re still completely baffled by the concept of trusting me, feel free to join!” And then Hugo ran out the door, heading towards the still prominent dragon sounds.

Varian and Yong looked at each other for a moment, and eventually Varian sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Wait for us!” he shouted as they followed Hugo.

Surprisingly, following the sound of screaming and stuff being obliterated wasn’t too difficult. Upon arriving, Varian came to the conclusion that, yup, the metal dragon had somehow come back. He wanted to convince himself otherwise, but with the haunting sound of music playing, along with the fire shooting at the homes around them, it was unmistakably the automaton. It was moving back and forth in a circle, unsure of where to go. With screaming from all directions, it made sense that it was confused.

“The bad dragon spirit,” Yong whispered, his eyes wide.

“So, what’s your plan?” Hugo asked Varian, adjusting his glasses.

“My plan? You’re the one who said he could do it alone!” Varian retorted. “Which is extremely hypocritical, by the way, since you were coming at me for--”

“I just want to see what I’m working with here. Just in case if I need some back up,” Hugo explained with a shrug. “Besides, I already know how to handle this thing.” Hugo unbuttoned his cloak, throwing it at Varian, who caught it with a huff. “Be a doll and hold this for me, won't you?”

Varian glared at the back of Hugo’s head as he ran towards the automaton. “Over here, big guy!” he shouted, getting the dragon’s attention. A few people began to peek out of their windows in surprise, watching as Hugo pointed his arm towards the automaton. He activated some device on his arm, which shot out a metal hook that wrapped around the dragon’s front leg. 

Wanting to take some form of action, Varian dropped Hugo’s cloak and rummaged through his bag until he found a chemical ball. Once he got close enough, he threw it at the ground, a gooey substance trapping the automaton. 

“Nice,” Hugo nodded, and Varian ignored him as he looked to find the same ball they had used before to stop the cylinder. “I’ll finish Pablo off.”

“Actually I think I--” Varian paused, his brow furrowing in confusion. “…Pablo?”

“He looks like a Pablo to me,” Hugo shrugged, and then reached into a leather holster, which Varian hadn’t noticed before (and wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing) and removed a metal device that resembled a small musket. With his other hand, he tapped the temple of his glasses, a bronze lens snapping over his left eye. 

Realizing what Hugo was doing, Varian began, “You want to aim for the--”

Hugo pulled the trigger of the device, something shooting out and hitting the top of the automaton. With a CLICK , the timing cylinder stopped.

“Woah,” Varian blinked, watching a satisfied smile form on Hugo’s face. “...Good aim.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Hugo shrugged. “I manipulate the magnetic forces between the bullet and good ol’ Cossette here to control its direction. S’taken me a few years to perfect, but it’s no biggie.”

“That’s so cool!” Yong exclaimed, racing over to them. 

“And way easier than what I expected,” Varian added, glancing over the automaton’s limp body. “Kind of anticlimactic…”

“You can say you’re jealous, Freckles,” Hugo grinned. “I don’t mind.”

“You’ve got to teach me how you did that, Hugo!” Yong gushed before Varian could respond. “I could use that kind of control with my fireworks!”

“I think you’re fine for now,” Varian said, worried that Hugo was going to cause Yong to put himself into more danger. Then again, Varian did lead him to a fire breathing mechanical monster … twice. He bit his lip, turning to Yong. “Why don’t you head back home, your family’s probably worried.”

“But what if you need help?” Yong asked, his disappointment making Varian feel even more guilty.

“I’ll be fine,” Varian assured him. “And don’t worry, I’ll deal with Hugo here. ‘Make sure he’s out of your hair.”

“Alright,” Yong nodded, turning for a moment before wrapping Varian in a tight hug. Varian was surprised, resting a hand on Yong’s back. “I’ll see you again, right?”

“Of course,” Varian said, his eyes softening. “Right after we’re sure everything’s safe, I’ll stop by.”

“And then you’ll leave for the next trial?” Yong said quietly, the tone of his voice almost heartbreaking.

“I think so,” Varian said, though he didn’t want to think about it. He was enjoying himself here but… he had to keep moving. If he stuck to what was comfortable, he wouldn’t get anywhere. “But I won’t be gone forever. I’ll visit you once this is all over.”

“You promise?” Yong asked.

Varian shut his eyes, sighing. “Yeah... I do.”

Yong pulled back, and Varian was surprised to see the kid rubbing his eyes, smiling. “Gosh, I’m getting a little too emotional. Sorry about that.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Varian shook his head. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay,” Yong nodded, waving and running towards home. 

Varian sighed, crossing his arms and turning back to the automaton. He jumped when he realized Hugo was right in front of him, still grinning.

“That was cute,” Hugo said, putting a hand to his chin. “Gotta love a brotherly bond.”

“Ever heard of ‘minding your own business’?” Varian snapped.

“I’m just observant, that’s all,” Hugo answered. “I can see how much you care about the kid. You don’t want to let him go.”

Varian knew it was best to ignore what Hugo had to say, but he couldn’t help but feel like he had to clarify. “I don’t want him to get hurt . He’s too young to deal with all of this.”

“Says the one who was put in charge of an entire kingdom’s engineering when he was fifteen ,” Hugo retorted. “Which is totally hypocritical, by the way…”

Varian rolled his eyes at the callback, deciding he was done with this conversation, and changing the subject. “That weapon you have, what material did you use? Since it depended on magnetics.”

“Ah, it’s just the new bullet I’ve been working on. Obviously I used brass, lead, iron of course, and plated it with steel. ‘Been thinking of naming it--” Hugo’s eyes widened, and he pointed over Varian’s head. “DUCK!”

“…Duck?” Varian repeated. “You’ve really got some odd--”

Varian yelped as Hugo pushed him over, both of them hitting the ground as a whooshing sound went over them. Huffing, Varian sat up, freezing when he saw a giant body of black and orange stripes hovering above them.

“Is that a…”

“Tiger,” Hugo finished, awkwardly getting off of Varian and adjusting his glasses. “An automaton , tiger. Don’t see that everyday...”

“Do you think we should worry?” Varian whispered. “We didn’t see it during the trial… Maybe it’s a defense system?”

Before Hugo could answer, the tiger crashed down on top of the dragon, roaring. Screaming, Hugo and Varian stood up and ran away as fast as they could from the tiger, stopping behind a large stand.

Panting, Hugo muttered. “Well that settles it. We should definitely be worried.”

“Yup,” Varian nodded, closing his eyes as he tried to think through a plan. He didn’t have a ton of chemical solutions on him, but there must’ve been something he could do.

“The best thing we can do now is lead it out of the town. Even if it’s harmless, we need to be cautious,” Varian started, grabbing his journal and starting to sketch out where they were. “Huoyan’s road’s are angular, and there’s all of the stands set up… so if we were able to keep the tiger on the ground, we’d slow it down.”

“That’s a great idea, Hairstripe, but you’re forgetting how it can probably outrun us in seconds,” Hugo said, crossing his arms.

“How do you know that?”

“Um… It’s a tiger. Obviously it’s super fast.”

“Well, yeah, but it’s also an automaton. The pressure could slow it down.”

“You really think when building that thing their first priority wouldn’t be making it crazy fast?”

Varian sighed, no longer having the energy to continue this argument. “Do you have anything that’d make us faster?”

“I hate to break it to you, Freckles, but I’m no witch,” Hugo said jokingly. “But I’m glad you asked, ‘cause I have a machine that could work. ‘Have any fuel on you?”

“Like… coal?” Varian asked, and Hugo nodded. “No.”

“Then we can find something else, like wood.”

Varian rolled his eyes. “We don’t really have time to go shopping, Hugo. How are we supposed to find--”

Hugo grinned, looking over Varian's shoulder. Varian turned, and saw a sign on the back of the stand that read “free wood”. Hugo reached over, weighing a piece in his hand before grabbing his cloak. He clicked something on the cuff on his wrist, and cut the cloak in a smooth motion. A fairly large metal object slipped out, and Varian’s eyes widened. No wonder the cloak was heavy. 

“Let’s take this baby for a test drive,” Hugo smirked.

“Okay,” Varian nodded, before pausing. “Wait, ‘test drive’?”

***

As he held onto dear life, Varian tried to not scream as the tiger followed them. Though they were just barely fast enough, which was good, Varian realized he really was not a fan of being on fast objects from people he’d just met.

“What is this thing?” Varian finally managed to get out, turning his head so he could see Hugo. His expression wasn’t as exaggerated with his goggles on, but he was definitely pleased with himself.

“Not a big fan of bikes, so I wanted something better,” he called to Varian over the wind. “I’m thinking of calling it a steambike. And maybe, once we find the Eternal Library, I can find a way to get people to buy it. Set up a shop or somethin’.”

“Good luck with that,” Varian said, craning his neck to make sure they were still far enough away from the tiger. 

“Hey, we engineers need to hold each other up, you know?” Hugo said in his same, clearly fake empathetic tone. “I’m sure you’ve got your own silly dreams pushing you to complete these trials. So I don’t need this negativity from you. It hurts.”

“Would you rather do this on your own?” Varian snapped.

“I’d rather you appreciate my sarcasm,” Hugo shouted before laughing.

Once they made it outside of Huoyan, they started towards the river, and Varian went over his current plan. In the best case scenario, the tiger would calm down now that there was no clear danger in its peripheral. That must have been what set it off in the first place. If it didn’t go well, which he didn’t want to think of, Varian had planned out a mixture that would hopefully cause a minor explosion. If there’s a chance of feldspars being present. So they were going to be fine.

When the steambike finally hit the ground, Varian did not hesitate to step off, feeling a little bit woozy from the motion. Hugo grabbed the handle of the bike, did a flicking motion with his wrist, and the whole machine snapped into a compact, shield like object. Varian wanted to comment on how interesting that was, but he reminded himself that there were far more important things to focus on.

“ Hey , buddy,” Varian started, watching as the tiger walked towards them, almost inquisitively. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“I don’t think he speaks English,” Hugo whispered.

As Varian prepared himself for the worst, he took a few steps forward, noting how it didn’t attack him, instead moving lower to the ground, now eye level with him. Varian slowly moved his hand out, going against his instinct to be afraid. Well, more afraid than he currently was. Varian almost had his finger on it when--

A rope wrapped around the tiger’s neck, causing it to writhe in place and growl. Varian’s eyes widened, and he turned back to see Hugo with his arm up, holding the automaton in place.

“What are you doing ?” Varian asked, bringing his hands up as he tried to calm the dragon.

“I’m making sure he doesn’t hurt you,” Hugo explained, his brow furrowing. “It’s sweet of you to try and bond with this big guy, but he’s also a tiger . And more importantly, a crazy robot. Let’s just keep him in one place, and get the guard to deal with it.”

“But--” before Varian could argue, Hugo pulled on the rope, most likely in an attempt to keep the tiger in place. But it didn’t provoke that response, and instead the tiger roared, clawing at the rope until it broke free. In an instant, it leaped in a burst of energy, and ran towards the water. Hugo started for that direction before Varian grabbed his shoulder. “No. We have to leave it be.”

“Since when did you become an automaton advocate?” Hugo asked, looking conflicted as he watched the tiger run up and down the riverside.

“It isn’t doing anything,” Varian said. “It only attacked us because… Well I’m not sure about that part yet, but I know it came because of the dragon.”

“And it hasn’t left yet,” Hugo said, gesturing to the tiger. “So, just hear me out, we’re not just going to leave it alone.”

“Why do you expect me to listen to you?” Varian asked, glaring. “You took the totem from us, gave a half-hearted apology for it, and expect everything to be better!”

“Why can’t it be?!” Hugo yelled. 

“Because that’s not how friendships work!”

“I never said I wanted to be friends,” Hugo said, his brow furrowing. “I said I wanted to help. Listen, Freckles, I know you want to do all this by yourself. I get that, really. But I’m just saying, two minds are better than one. You want better odds, right? So at least listen to me.”

Varian wanted to argue, to tell Hugo that he didn’t need his help, but… He remembered what Xavier had said before he left. Fighting alone was dangerous. He couldn’t expect to do everything by himself. So he stayed quiet, letting Hugo continue.

Hugo took a breath. “We’ve got to take that thing down because--”

“Because it’s a weapon!”

Hugo and Varian turned, seeing Yong atop Prometheus, pulling a boat behind them.

“What?” they both went simultaneously. 

“It’s a weapon,” Yong repeated once he was next to them, jumping off. “I saw it pass the house. I recognized what it was, I--”

“Yong, what are you doing?” Varian cut him off. “It isn’t safe here.”

“Listen, Rudigger brought me!” Yong said, pointing to the raccoon who had sat beside him, and was frowning at the blame. 

“Okay, and I assume he brought that thing too?” Varian asked, pointing at the boat.

Yong looked over to it, and then back. “Well, no, but--”

“Yong, you need to leave,” Varian said as he walked toward him, his voice harsher than what he intended. “I’m not putting you in danger again. You can’t be here.”

“But you said to not give up, remember?” Yong said, the look in his eyes almost… pained. It caught Varian off guard. “I know I can help this time, I helped before, I just--”

“But Yong--”

“Just let the kid speak, Freckles,” Hugo said, furrowing his brow. “He came all this way to try and help us, and you’re telling him to leave? He has a lot of guts to keep coming back, you know that. Let him speak.”

Varian looked from Hugo’s frustrated yet passionate stare to Yong’s nervous eyes. He had felt guilty enough having Yong fight with him, but this felt infinitely worse. Maybe he had been too hard on him. He remembered how much it hurt when he was younger, when he was told that he couldn’t continue the work that he loved. It was different, he supposed, since Varian deserved it for being so careless about how he affected others. But it was similar in that Varian was acting out of his fear for Yong’s safety. He understood his father’s concerns now, it would be unbearable to see someone you care for be harmed when you could have prevented it.

But Yong wasn’t just a younger version of Varian. Sure, they had similar brains, drive, and the interest to help others. But… Yong wasn’t alone. He had people with him, friends, that could understand his struggles and help him when he needed it. And he cared so much about that. That’s what the younger Varian took so long to grasp. Teamwork. 

Honestly, he still was a little rusty, but now he had a chance to do it right. So he smiled, nodding for Yong to continue.

“I knew after seeing the dragon automaton come into the town, something was going to happen. Huoyan has been super into machines lately, like, it’s so crazy that most other jobs are insignificant next to working at the factory. That’s why Ming works there, because she makes a lot.” Yong fidgeted with his hands, looking anxious for what he was about to say. “Since she works there she tells me a lot of things I don’t think she’s supposed to. Like certain techniques they… um… borrowed from nearby kingdoms, scandals between the workforce, and… tons of weapons.”

“What kind of weapons?” Hugo asked, intrigued.

“Tons of scary guns and cannons and stuff I can’t remember. But she talked the most about the animals. These big metal machines that could easily take down any threat coming their way.” Yong paused to chuckle. “Honestly, I thought she was just exaggerating, but after seeing the dragon last night…” He looked over at the tiger, which now appeared unbothered, resting on the ground. “I realized that she might have been understating them.”

“So the tiger automaton… Was it supposed to react like that?” Varian asked. “Is it a part of Huoyan’s defenses?”

“No.” Yong shook his head. “I think it’s a prototype, so it got set off when it sensed danger? But I don’t think it’s intended for us. We aren’t really in need of any extra protection in Huoyan.”

“That dragon scare says otherwise,” Hugo joked, but only got blank stares from the others. He cleared his throat. “Anyways, we know what the tiger is and why it’s here. So what now?”

“We drown it,” Yong said matter-of-factly. 

Hugo laughed.

“Oh,” Varian blinked, processing Yong’s change in tone. “Okay then. Why do we want to drown it, exactly? Shouldn’t we keep it in good shape, since it belongs to the town?”

“The automaton will be fine,” Yong said, waving his hand. “But we need an easy way to stop it, and getting it in the water seems like the best option.”

“I see where you’re coming from, Sparkie,” Hugo grinned. “If we lead Blaise into the water, the gears will slow down, and since it’s moving so fast, it’d probably just stop completely.”

“Right!” Yong nodded, before pausing, confused. “Wait… Blaise?”

“Ignore him, he feels the need to give everything a nickname,” Varian rolled his eyes, Hugo having a content smile on his face. “How are we going to get it into the water?”

“That’s where this comes in,” Yong said, pointing to the boat. 

Oh, right. That was there. It was strange Varian hadn’t really questioned its purpose before.

“With this dinghy, me and Varian are going to go across the river as bait,” Yong explained, untying the boat from Prometheus. The donkey brayed, thankful that he no longer had to pull along such a weight. “But I don’t think that by itself is going to set the automaton off.”

“So it isn’t alerted by sound?” Varian asked.

“I don’t think so,” Yong said, pulling the dinghy closer to the water. “If that was the case, then it would have come back over by now. My guess is it’s alerted by danger. Whatever appears to be a threat to its ally.”

“That’s… incredible coding,” Varian said, awestruck.

“So how’s the dinghy a threat?” Hugo chuckled.

“It’s not,” Yong said, walking up to Hugo. “But you are.”

Hugo paused, his face flickering to an almost concerned expression before he was back to his usual grin. “And how is that?”

“You’re going to shoot one of your magnetic bullets at us!” Yong said excitedly, and Varian and Hugo exchanged a worried glance. Noticing how that statement sounded a little morbid, Yong laughed nervously, and shook his head. “I mean, obviously you won’t actually hit us. You can stop it so it doesn't, right?”

“That’ll be easy,” Hugo nodded. “So you’re expecting Blaise to go in the river in an effort to save you?”

“Yeah!”

“But what if it comes towards me instead?”

“Hm…” Yong thought about that, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out two fireworks. “Then you can use these to try and push it back!” He brought his hands behind his back and shifted the weight between his feet. “But hopefully that won’t happen. I don’t want my mom to find out about me having those. Since it’s dangerous.”

“I don’t think this much different,” Varian reminded him.

“But this time I really thought everything out! I know it’ll make her proud,” Yong said with such certainty that it truly warmed Varian’s heart. 

“Well, if it means anything, I’m proud of you,” Varian said, putting a hand on Yong’s shoulder. Yong smiled up at him, confident.

“As cute as this is, we’ve got work to do, right?” Hugo said, and Yong and Varian nodded. They were ready.

Varian couldn’t lie, getting the dinghy and themselves into the water was probably the hardest part. With their boat racing in mind, Varian knew that it was pretty easy to tip it over and fall into the river. But they had practice now, so it was slightly less embarrassing as he cautiously stepped inside, almost certain he would flip it again. But they didn’t, so they moved down the river, towards the tiger. It was strange, how it had lied down and now was eerily still. It was an automaton of course, but with all of the life that its movement brought it, the stillness was off putting.

Once they got used to the paddles, Yong and Varian were able to move through the water with ease. It wasn’t long until they were about fifteen meters away from the automaton, where they had agreed was the safest distance. Varian turned and gave Hugo the signal.

Almost immediately, a metal bullet whooshed right past them. If the sound of it alone didn’t scare Varian, he was almost certain that Hugo was trying to nick him.

The tiger reacted once the second bullet had sounded, and though it looked towards Hugo, it instead leaped towards them. Thank goodness . The automaton crashed into the water, one of Hugo’s bullets bouncing off of its side. Based on the lack of screaming, it was safe to say Hugo was just fine. 

The tiger spun around, its metallic eyes settling on Yong and Varian. They held their breath as the automaton looked ready to strike. Varian held up his staff, and Yong reached for the last firecracker in his pocket.

And then, the tiger went completely stiff, and slowly sank into the water. If they hadn’t nearly been attacked by the automaton several times already, Varian might have laughed at the way it had limply waded away. But instead he sighed, turning to Yong, who instead of looking afraid, was beaming.

“We did it!” he exclaimed, with enough energy that it felt like they had completed the fire trial all over again. 

“Yeah, I guess we--” Yong immediately hugged Varian, who couldn’t help but smile. “…Did.” He returned the hug, relishing that moment. Like every time they did this, there was the fear of it being the last time. 

When Varian pulled back, the emotional expression on Yong said that he felt the same way.

“Well, we should probably get you back home. Your family must be worried sick.”

“Eh,” Yong shrugged. “I’m sure they’re fine. I am a little worried about Mom though…”

Understanding what he meant, Varian nodded. “Yeah. I’ll try my best to explain everything to her.”

“But I--”

“Hey Sparkie! That was awesome !” Hugo ran over, putting his musket back in the holster. “I mean, I knew it’d work out, us being a perfect team and all, but still I’m impressed!”

“Thanks!” Yong exclaimed. 

Varian smiled. “Well, let’s get you home, Sparkie .”

Yong chuckled. 

“Told you the nickname would catch on.” Hugo said before looking over his shoulder. “Speaking of which…  Are we going to just leave Blaise in the river, or…?”

***

“And so we led it to the river, and we weren’t expecting it to go so far, but the only option we had was to-”

“There’s no need to worry,” Hui, who had introduced himself as the factory’s leading engineer, assured Varian. He seemed fairly young to be running such a large establishment, but he paid no mind to it. “The town’s safety is secured. That’s always our top priority.” His smile seemed a little too forced, but that was justifiable. Varian was thankful he didn’t have to pay them for the damage. “However… If Corona is open to giving any financial aid, we would appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Varian said. “I’ll write them as soon as I can.”

“Splendid,” Hui said, visibly relaxing. “I hope you enjoy the rest of the festival. Assuming nothing else goes wrong…”

“We’ll make sure of it,” Varian said, firmly. He’d caused enough trouble in Huoyan over the past two days.

Hui gave a curt nod, and Varian was left with Yong once more, outside of the restaurant. Hugo was with them for a moment, but had gotten distracted by an associate of Hui’s and was gone in a flash. It was dark now, most of the village had gone to the river with their lanterns. Yong was crouched down, running his hand over Ruddiger’s fur. Before Varian could approach him, the front door opened, and Miss Xu stepped out.

“Mom,” Yong began, but she silenced him with a hug. 

“We were worried sick,” she said, her voice tense. “When Ming said you’d run off, I thought we could lose you.”

“I’m fine, Mom,” Yong said.

“I know,” she sighed, trying to keep her composure. “But you can’t keep doing this, Yong. I can’t let you do this.” She looked over Yong’s shoulder to Varian. “If your friend hadn’t kept you safe, we would be devastated.”

“Actually,” Varian interjected, walking to her. “If it wasn’t for Yong, there’s a good chance that automaton would still be roaming free.”

Ms. Xu’s brow furrowed. “I don’t think--”

“He’s right,” Ming said as she stepped out of the restaurant, Jun following behind her. Ming placed a hand on Yong’s shoulder. “No one expected the automatons to react this way. If it weren’t for Yong, Huoyan could have been in serious danger.”

“Ming’s right,” Jun said, speaking up. “We’ve kept saying that he isn’t able to protect himself… But he protected all of us.”

Ms. Xu looked between her children, deep in thought. “But we’ve had so many close calls, this doesn’t cancel that out.”

“True,” Ming said. “But… I think we’ve played a role in that. We never tried to watch over him, we just kept shutting him down.”

“If he had someone to keep an eye on him, he could do so much good,” Jun said, smiling down at Yong. “And I think that’s true.”

They turned to Varian, who had been anxiously tapping his foot on the ground. Trying to gain confidence, he began, “Ms. Xu--”

“I need you to swear to me, young man ,” Ms. Xu said, marching up to him. “That you will watch over my son, no matter what. That you will keep him safe, well fed, and in the best shape possible.”

“I…” Varian said, shocked.

“Do you swear?” Ms. Xu asked.

“I swear,” Varian nodded, trying to match her energy.

“What are you saying, Mom?” Yong asked, confused.

“I’m saying,” Ms. Xu turned, her expression soft. “That you can go with Varian. To the trials.”

Yong’s eyes widened. He was silent for a moment, before he jumped into the air in excitement. But before he could cheer, Ms. Xu moved to be level with him, a serious look in her eye.

“You will write to us every week, alright? And if you miss a single letter, I’m sending all of the Huoyan Guard after you!” Though there was playfulness towards the end, her expression remained unchanged. 

“I will, I promise,” Yong laughed, hugging her.

Varian smiled as he watched the family continue to erupt in excitement as they discussed what’s to come. Even after all that had happened, their love for Yong outweighed their fear. They were able to push aside the past in hope for the future. 

In fact, with all of the revelations about trusting friendship and having faith for what’s to come…

“Hey Varian! Do you want to come help me pack!” Yong exclaimed. “Mom said that we can leave tomorrow, since we don’t want to miss the rest of the festival, and because it’s late and all. But I want to get an early start!”

“Actually,” Varian said. “I think I have an apology to make. I’ll be right back.”

Yong paused, and then nodded knowingly. “Alright. As long as you don’t set off another automaton!”

***

“What happened?” Hugo asked as soon as he could find Nyari. In the dim alley, Cyrus was beside her, glaring. “All you had to do was set off one of the kid’s fireworks, and you somehow managed to awake Huoyan’s newest death device?” 

“How about, ‘thank you so much for the help, Nyari, you’re the best coworker ever!’?” she said, a sarcastic smile on her face until she finished. “I did exactly what you told me to do.”

“Yeah, right,” Hugo huffed, crossing his arms. “Well, when Don comes spitting fire, don’t expect me to defend you.”

“Don’t worry about it, she’s relocating to Ingvarr,” Nyari said. “And so am I. If you weren’t wasting your time here, then you’d be on track with us. But now, you’re on your own.”

Hugo scoffed. “So no more instructions from you? Sounds like a blast.”

“It means we aren’t babysitting you anymore,” Cyrus snared.

“And I thought we were close,” Hugo frowned.

Nyari stepped forward, handing Hugo a crumpled piece of paper.

“Don’s hoping that you won’t need our assistance anytime soon, and so are we, but if it’s absolutely necessary this’ll be our address for the time being.”

Hugo looked at the address. Klaxon Manor . 

“Creative. Any chance this is one of your in-laws’?” Hugo asked Cyrus, who gritted his teeth in response.

“We’re expecting to have a report of your progress by the Winter Solstice,” Nyari continued before Cyrus could interject. “If you aren’t to the point Don’s predicting, we’ll take over.”

“That’s a bit dramatic,” Hugo said.

“You know what’s dramatic? Avoiding a conversation with someone by destroying a town’s highest source of income.” Nyari walked past him, pausing to say, “You wanted a solo mission, so here you go: grow up.”

Hugo watched as they left, bubbling with anger. 

“Okay, fine! I don’t need you two anyways!” Hugo yelled. “You think I can’t do this by myself, then watch me!” Once they were gone, Hugo faltered. He ran a hand through his hair. “How can I do this by myself?” He leaned on the brick wall, unsure of what he was going to do. Olivia pushed herself out of the metal band, and stared up at him. “What?”

Olivia then jumped off of his wrist, and ran down the alley. Hugo went after her, confused.

“Liv, where are you–”

As Hugo turned the corner, he was met with the last person he wanted to see.

“Hairstripe.”

Well, other than Donella. 

“Hugo,” Varian said, looking relieved. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Really?” Hugo raised a brow, ready to turn away. But he realized that at this point, he had nothing better to do. Any conversation that wasn’t Nyari chewing his ear out was more than manageable. So, with a sigh, he gave in. “Well, what is it?”

“I’m sorry,” Varian said, immediately catching Hugo off guard. “For… Everything, I guess. You were just trying to help and… I overreacted. ”

“...What?” was all that Hugo could manage.

Varian blinked. “Do you… Do you want me to say it again or–”

“I heard what you said!” Hugo laughed, shaking his head. “I just… don’t get it.”

“Don’t get what?”

“Why you would actually want my help,” Hugo explained, a little too honest. “I mean, come on. I stole the totem from you, I definitely overstepped your boundaries, I pickpocketed you–”

“You what?”

“The point is,” Hugo continued, leaving Varian baffled. “You have every reason not to trust me. To walk away and never have to see me again.”

“But I want to,” Varian said earnestly. Now, once more, it was Hugo’s turn to be confused. “I want to try again.”

“Why?”

“Because you trusted me ,” Varian answered, with such sincerity that Hugo questioned Varian's judgment of character. “And you didn’t have to do that either.” Varian then looked away, his confidence fading as he laughed. “It’s just… My friends back home are big on second chances. And I thought hey, why not give it a try?”

If Hugo was a sane person, he’d turn Varian down. He had already gotten way too invested than Donella had planned for him. But he had gone so much further than the “pretending to be allies” stage. Of course, he wouldn’t feel too bad when the inevitable betrayal arrived. He’d gone through this more times than he could count. But that doesn’t erase the fact that he knows it’ll hurt when it ends.  

But as Varian raised his hand out, a genuine version of the deal Hugo had made earlier in the day, there was only one thing Hugo could do.

“Why not?” Hugo agreed, shaking Varian’s hand.

***

Despite Varian’s limited stay in Huoyan, he still felt like he was going to miss it. He had realized the importance of him visiting the other kingdoms; otherwise he would have known nothing about the very people he wanted to help. Following his visit to the Eternal Library, he wondered if he would be able to strengthen the connections between the kingdoms. Surely that was something within reach. His time in Bayangor alone convinced him that technology could bring them together. It wouldn’t hurt to try, at least…

Varian didn’t have to look up from his journal in order to know he had reached Yong’s house. He could hear the kid’s excited voice accompanied by the firm chiding of his mother. 

“And you’re sure you’ve remembered everything?” she asked, her eyes wide as if searching for deception.

“ Yes , Mom,” Yong groaned, although it was void of any real frustration. “And I’ve got my clothes, snacks, everything for the letters, and some of Ming’s tips.”

Varian was surprised to see Ming smile.  

“Okay…” Miss Xu began, squinting. “And the fireworks?”

“Not with me?” Yong attempted, but ultimately sighed and caved in. “I’ve got a few. Maybe more than a few. But it’s to defend myself!”

Miss Xu was silent as she was debating the rational decision. “Well… I suppose you have been able to handle yourself the past few days…”

Yong stared up at his mother with the biggest puppy eyes he could muster.

She sighed. “Okay. But you need to promise me that you’ll be safe, and that you will, under no circumstances , set something off before you’ve tested it. Understand?”

“Yes, Mom,” Yong nodded, dutifully, and then Miss Xu pulled him into a crushing hug. 

“I love you, Bao Bao.”

“I love you too, Mom,” Yong beamed, and once he pulled back, he ran to give his sisters a similar goodbye. As Varian was humored by Ming’s attempts to swat him away, Miss Xu moved towards him. She stared at him, her voice in a low whisper. 

“If anything happens to my son, if he comes back with so much as a singed hair, I will you with the rest of the snakeheads.” 

The strangest thing about the threat was that there was no malice, instead her voice was so soft that it made Varian shiver. He immediately began to ramble, trying to assure her (but mostly himself) that Yong would be kept safe. 

“Of course, Miss Xu, I would never put him in harm's way, especially now that I know his angle for getting into trouble, and I’ve also been researching–”

“Come on, let’s go !” Yong exclaimed, pulling Varian by the wrist. When he looked back up at Miss Xu, she was smiling fondly. 

“Take care of him,” she said.

“I will,” Varian swore, nodding firmly. “I… I promise.”

There was an enormous weight that left his mind as he uttered that last word. Despite its value in his conscience, he was certain that he meant it. Yong gave him the courage to believe it. 

Miss Xu smiled, and reached to shake his hand. “Good luck.”

“Thank you,” Varian said.

And just like that, Yong was dragging Varian towards Prometheus, bubbling with excitement. As he attempted to jump on top of said donkey, who was not at all prepared for the sudden attention, Varian laughed and pulled him back.

“Slow down,” he shook his head, and helped the kid up. “We don’t want you getting all bruised before we’ve even left the city.”

“We’ve defeated, like, three automatons this week. I think I could hold my own against a donkey!”

“Well it doesn’t hurt to be careful,” Varian chuckled, hoisting himself up as well. Ruddiger jumped from where he had been resting in his bag and onto Yong’s lap, animatedly chittering. 

“ Soooo , where are we heading first? Koto, right? I’ve never been to Koto before. Well, I’ve actually never been outside Huoyan before, but I’m pretty much a seasoned traveler after the fire trial.”

“Well, that is the plan. But first…” Varian scanned the road as they got closer to the border of the town. As soon as a familiar green caught his eye, he led Prometheus to come to a halt.

Yong, who had continued to ramble excitedly, paused and looked at Varian. “Why did we stop?”

Varian pursed his lips anxiously before smiling. “Well… There’s one more thing we need before we can leave.”

“What’s that?” Yong asked, frowning in confusion.

“That would be me.”

Of course Hugo would opt for a dramatic entrance, somehow managing to sneak up on them and lean against Prometheus, who was now cheerfully munching on a carrot.

Yong’s eyes widened, looking between Varian and Hugo.

“Wǒde tiān na!” Yong exclaimed, jumping off Prometheus, and hugging Hugo. Hugo, who was not at all prepared for that reaction, was promptly tackled to the ground.

Varian laughed, gently getting off of Prometheus and helping his new teammates off of the ground.

Despite all of the trouble this Hugo guy was, Yong made it worth it.