Naturally, Varian didn't get much sleep that night either. They'd taken up Rapunzel's offer of staying the night and Varian sat at the edge of his bed, staring at his hands as Quirin looked at his drawing.
'Your mother was a great alchemist,' he began and Varian's head whipped up. Quirin rarely spoke about his mother, always trying to change the subject when Varian brought her up.
'She was?' he asked hopefully.
'Just like you,' Quirin continued and Varian felt a small smile tug at his mouth, despite the seriousness of the situation. 'You take after her so much, son. It's like there's this piece of her in you that shines out when you get lost in your alchemy or machines. Which I suppose is why I tried so hard to keep you away from all of that.'
'What? Why?' Varian demanded, confused at the juxtaposition.
'Your mother was brilliant, bold, full of this... this yearning to figure out the mysteries of the world. It's what made me fall in love with her in the first place. But it also meant that when adventure came calling, she couldn't resist.'
He sighed down at the drawing and said, 'This was on the cover of her research journal that she used during the Trials of Demanitus.'
Varian frowned, trying to figure out if he'd heard that name before, but drew up a blank. 'What are the Trials of Demanitus?'
'I don't know exactly,' Quirin admitted, 'I never really understood it when Ulla brought it up. But what she did explain was that they were a set of seven tests Lord Demanitas created a thousand years ago, designed to lead whoever completes them to some mystical library. She said the library held the collective knowledge of all of history, from all over the world.'
Varian was shocked. He thought he knew plenty about Demanitus thanks to having his own journal from his tomb, but it had never once mentioned this.
'That's how we met,' Quirin continued, 'I was still a knight in Vorath when Ulla and her partner arrived, searching for the Dark Trial. She completed it, though she was came out severely injured. I feared she wouldn't make it. But over time, she recovered, thanks to my ministrations. After that... she didn't want to continue, wanting to stay with me instead of complete her trials. Her partner didn't like that. They fought and eventually went their separate ways. It broke your mother's heart to watch her walk away. It wasn't long after that that I decided I didn't want to force her to stay in a fallen kingdom. I turned my back on the Brotherhood and we left to find our place here, in Corona. We were happy, so, so happy. When you arrived, I thought our lives were perfect. But then her partner came back, saying that she'd found the location of the sixth trial. I didn't want her to go. I begged and pleaded, but she was so excited, even after the argument they'd had. In the end, I couldn't convince her to stay but I suppose... I didn't try as hard as I could have. How could I? I couldn't crush her spirit like that. Even if it killed me to watch her walk away. "Don't wait up", she told me, but I did. I waited for weeks, months, for some kind of sign, but there was nothing. Finally... a letter came. Not from Ulla, but her partner. All it said was that Ulla... she was gone.'
Quirin fell silent, taking a shaking breath as tears filled his eyes.
'Some days I look up and expect to see her walking back down that road into Old Corona,' he continued, 'But she never does. I tried to do right by you, Varian, but it has been the hardest thing in the world, trying to put aside my own grief to give you as normal of a life as I could. I'm sorry I let you down.'
Varian moved to sit next to his dad, leaning on him heavily. 'You didn't, Dad. You never did. I'm sorry I was such a nightmare, really.'
Quirin laughed and wiped his eyes, putting his arm around Varian's shoulders. 'Never, son. You were always a little different but I wouldn't change it for the world. You're your mother's son through and through. And it brings me so much joy to know that even just a little piece of Ulla lives in you.'
Varian was silent, looking down at the drawing still clutched in Quirin's hands, mind racing. 'How old was I when she left?'
Quirin thought for a moment before replying, 'You can't have been older than two or three. Not old enough to remember her as she was.'
Varian frowned, thinking back to his dream. Quirin was right, he couldn't recall anything he might have remembered of his mother, only knowing her through the painting that hung in his father's room. But that wasn't all...
'She had longer hair, didn't she?' he asked and Quirin smiled sadly, nodding.
'The most beautiful auburn hair I've ever seen.'
He thought back to his dream, trying to line up the silhouette of the woman he'd seen with the picture of his mother in the painting. And it might have been wishful thinking, but he got the feeling that they were more similar than he realised.
'Her journal,' he continued, gesturing to the drawing, 'Was it about this big?'
He held up his hands and Quirin nodded before frowning. 'Wait, how did you know.'
Varian's heart thumped painfully in his chest. 'I told you had a dream last night. That was on the book that person had shown me. The book was that big. And the woman...'
Quirin sighed heavily. 'It was just a dream, son. Your mother is gone.'
'Then how could I have dreamed about her journal if I've never seen it before?'
Quirin shrugged, baffled by his insistence. 'You must have seen it when you were a baby and your mind conjured it up in your dream. I don't know, son. But what I do know is that there's not point hanging onto false hope. After all these years, it will only lead to heartbreak. Ulla is gone.'
But Varian wasn't going to accept that as an answer, at least not yet. Quirin did have a point, but he wanted all the pieces of the puzzle before he made any kind of decision.
'I want to see her journal,' he declared and Quirin stared at him in surprise.
'You... but why?'
'I need to know more about her and what she was doing,' Varian insisted, 'If she loved us as much as you said, she had to have a good reason to leave. I need to know what it was. I'm not expecting to find her or anything, but there's so much about her I don't know. If this can help with that...'
He trailed off and Quirin's face softened.
'Of course, son. I suppose you're old enough after all. Though I'm not sure if you'll be able to find any answers in it; your mother encrypted it.'
'Well, I suppose it's a good thing I'm so good at translating encrypted messages,' Varian replied with a grin.
Varian was sure he wasn't going to get much sleep with what remained of the night, but thanks to his lack of sleep catching up to him, he passed out only minutes after falling into bed, only stirring when the sunlight landed on his face through the window. He sat up with a jolt, struggling to place himself before he remembered the previous day's events. He spun to Quirin where the drawing he'd made rested on the bedside table and his sleepiness vanished in an instant.
'Dad! We've gotta go!' he exclaimed, throwing his blankets back and heaving on his boots.
Quirin jumped upright, staring about in alarm before he recognised Varian across the room and slumped back again.
'Son, it's early,' he sighed.
'When has that ever stopped you?' Varian demanded, folding the drawing back up again, 'Come on! You promised to show me mom's journal, remember?'
That woke him up and he finally rose, gathering his boots and clothes and following Varian out. They didn't pass Rapunzel on the way out, but Varian made sure to tell one of the guards where they were going and to thank her for the party. And with that, he gathered Orion from the stables and raced back to Old Corona as fast as he could, despite Quirin calling for him to slow down. The moment they reached their house, Varian was dragging Quirin inside, practically vibrating with excitement as Quirin climbed the stairs to his room and approached the painting on their family. Varian looked up at the depiction of his mother, unable to stop thinking about how similar she looked to the silhouette of the woman he'd dreamed about.
Don't get ahead of yourself, Varian, he told himself sternly, We need more information before we make judgements.
Quirin reached up and tugged the painting away from the wall on a set of hidden hinges, revealing a steel safe door embedded in the grey stone. Varian gaped. He'd never even known that was there. Pulling a small silver key from a cord around his neck, Quirin unlocked the safe and pulled it open, revealing a small coin purse for emergencies, a silver belt-buckle in the shape of the Brotherhood symbol, and a thick leather journal with a teal cover.
'This is it,' Quirin explained, pulling it out to show Varian. He grinned at the symbol on the front, identical to what he had drawn and tentatively accepted it. It was heavy, thicker than most books he owned, with pieces of parchment sticking out from the pages at odd angles.
He ran his hand over the cover, tracing the symbol pressed into the cover, black with a lighter green outline. He still didn't know what it meant, but hopefully the information inside the journal would answer that. He sat heavily on his father's footlocker, slowly unbuckling the bronze clasp and opening it. And there, right inside the cover, was a skillful sketch of Quirin, Ulla, and himself. Beneath that was a somewhat messy message that read, "I do this for them". On the opposite side of the page it read in the same handwriting "Research Journal of Ulla of NesderniaCorona". Varian brushed his hands over the ink, knowing that once many years ago, his mother had written that message in her own hand and it felt as if the ghost of her hand was pressing on his. Taking a deep breath, he flipped the page and frowned at the solid wall of runes, completely unreadable.
'I told you,' Quirin sighed, 'She encrypted it. I have no idea what it all means.'
Varian flipped through the journal but every page was the same until it ended about four fifths of the way through, offering no hint as to how to decode it. But he wasn't to be deterred.
'Can I hold onto this?' he asked and Quirin nodded, already closing the safe as if he expected this request.
'Just remember to eat and sleep,' he said as Varian hurried from the room, knowing his son's habits far too well.
Varian took the journal down into the lab, clearing his desk enough to spread it open as he pulled up his own notebook and quill. Ruddiger looked down at it curiously as Varian began to write, copying down the first few sentences to use as the basis for a potential translation, getting to work.
Despite what he'd promised his father, Varian spent all day down in the lab, only remembering to eat when Quirin physically hauled him away from his desk and sat him at the dining table with a plate of food in front of him. Not that Varian's dedication was offering any results. Ulla had clearly known what she was doing when she made the code. It didn't match any of the ciphers Varian had run into in the past, not even Demanitus' scroll. He searched through all his books, looking for some kind of clue, but there was nothing, leaving him frustrated and exhausted. By the third day with no results, he angrily flipped the pages back to the inner cover, looking down at the image his mother had drawn of their family.
"I do this for them."
Varian frowned, looking back towards his scribbled notes of ciphers and codes. More often than not, ciphers used a keyword or phrase to translate them into something readable, but without knowing what that was, it was just jibberish. But maybe the clue to the keyword was staring him right in the face. He began to write again, this time using Quirin's name as the key, hope rising only to fall flat again. It still didn't make any sense. Even his own name didn't yield any results and he leaned back for a moment with a growl of frustration. He was just about to give up when he got one final idea. He used both his and his father's names as the keywords for two separate layers of code, and suddenly, words were appearing on the page.
'I don't believe it!' he exclaimed, staring down at his notebook, then at Ulla's journal. There it was, right there. All of her notes were suddenly open to him.
'Ruddiger, I did it!' he stammered, flipping to a fresh page in his notebook and beginning to write. He spent all night poring over the journal, slowly translating the first few pages until dawn rose and Quirin slouched into the lab, looking at him with exasperation.
'I never would have let you keep that if you were going to behave like this,' he scolded and Varian's head whipped up, eyes wild with excitement.
'Dad, I cracked it!' he replied, staggering to his feet and almost falling as his stiff muscles almost refused to take his weight. 'Look! The key was our names! She used two different layers of code, genius, right? But look, this first page is talking all about how she found out about Demanitus' trials! It says that the trials lead to something called the Eternal Library and the first one is in the kingdom of Bayangor. That's not even that far!'
'Varian!' Quirin barked to stop his rambling, 'You're not thinking of going out there, are you?'
'How could I not?' Varian replied, still bursting with excitement, 'Dad, this is her life's work! Imagine what I could learn if I retraced her steps.'
'Are you forgetting that this adventure of hers ended up killing her?' Quirin demanded and his cold voice was startling enough to shake Varian back to reality.
'I-I know that. Sorry, Dad. I guess I got a little ahead of myself.'
Quirin sighed, rubbing his eyes. 'I'm glad you're learning more about her, but you can't let yourself get caught up in all this. There's a reason she never returned. I don't want the same thing to happen to you.'
Varian nodded and his heart fell as Quirin held out his hand for the journal. 'You've been at this for three days, son. We both know how fixated you can get on things like this. I want you to do something else today other than going through this journal. Go outside and actually feel the sun on your face. Eat something, for my sake.'
Varian wanted to refuse, to resist his dad's efforts at halting his progress, but that look on his face was enough to make his shoulders sag and return the book to him.
'I suppose you're right,' Varian muttered, Ruddiger leaping onto his shoulder as he left the lab and stepped outside. He was almost blinded by the sunlight and realised that maybe Quirin had a point. He had spent far too long in the lab and it felt great to stretch and feel the sun and wind on his face. But even as he enjoyed the day, he couldn't stop his mind from turning back to what he'd uncovered in the journal. He'd never heard of the Trials of Demanitus or the Eternal Library before his dad explained and he read the journal. He was desperate to know more, but if he hadn't come across it so far, he had no idea where to look. Maybe he could ask one of the royal librarians? Would they have heard of something as obscure as this?
Without warning, a memory resurfaced, not of the royal library, but of the time he'd spent with Xavier hunting for the lost treasure of Herz Der Sonne. Xavier knew countless legends and myths, maybe this one was in his repertoire?
'Dad, I'm heading into the city!' he called and Quirin waved back at him as he headed towards one of the fields.
Orion was more than happy to get to stretch his legs again as Varian galloped him down the road, reaching the capital in record time, even if he didn't return the greetings called to him. Orion clattered to a halt outside Xavier's forge where the big man was hard at work repairing a broken wagon axel. He looked up as Varian leapt from the saddle, his foot catching in the stirrup in his haste and falling face-first to the ground.
'Ow,' he muttered as Orion nickered, a sound that made him think the horse might have been laughing.
'Varian?' Xavier asked, moving closer to help him up. 'What are you doing? Why are you in such a hurry?'
'I need to talk to you,' Varian explained, clutching his notebook to his chest. 'Have you heard about the Trials of Demanitus or the Eternal Library?'
Xavier mused over that for a moment while Varian fidgeted anxiously, before finally smiling. 'They do sound familiar. Demanitus was said to have set seven individual trials across the Seven Kingdoms that were supposed to lead whoever completed them to the Eternal Library.'
'Yes, I've heard that part,' Varian replied urgently, 'But do you know anything about what the trials actually are? Why Demanitus created them? What the Eternal Library actually is?'
Xavier chuckled at his urgency, wiping the soot from his face as he finally set down his work tools, gesturing to Varian to take a seat on one of the worn wooden benches inside the forge.
'Lord Demanitus was a great engineer,' Xavier began and Varian had to stop himself from interrupting again. He knew Xavier would only take longer to tell the story if he did. 'He was known across the entire Seven Kingdoms and beyond as the best alchemist, engineer and researcher the world has ever seen. As we know, he was originally responsible for banishing the demon warlock Zhan Tiri to another realm through the use of his portal he constructed. But questions have arisen about how he learned how to do this. Demanitus was brilliant, but such things are far greater than even one man might learn on his own. It was said that he had been experimenting with accessing other realms of existence for years before Zhan Tiri betrayed him. What most people don't know is that he succeeded, developing a unique fuel source to open a gateway not into the realm where he eventually banished Zhan Tiri, but into a realm filled with all the accumulated knowledge of mankind itself. He dubbed this as the Eternal Library. Demanitus spent much time in the Eternal Library, learning all he could about the secrets of the world and beyond, including about the Sun Drop and Moon Stone. When Zhan Tiri betrayed him and attempted to harness these powers for herself, Demanitus used the knowledge he had gained from the library to send her to her prison.
'Demanitus loved the Eternal Library and prior to his apprentices' betrayal, he wished all to have access to its secrets. However, after Zhan Tiri's banishment, he realised that the knowledge it contained had the potential to destroy the world beyond repair. But he could not bring himself to close it off entirely, how could he? He was a man of science and research, and there were others out there just like him, fuelled by the same noble desire for knowledge to help improve the world, rather than see it destroyed. So, instead, developed the seven Trials of Demanitus, placing one trial in each of the Seven Kingdoms that aspiring seekers of knowledge could attempt to complete and learn how to access the Eternal Library themselves. But these trials were deadly, allowing only the smartest, bravest, and most determined researchers to complete. Countless people have attempted to complete them, none have succeeded to this day. And so the Eternal Library remains closed off to our world.'
Varian stared at him, Xavier's words rolling over in his mind. 'This gateway isn't the one he wrote about in his journal?' he asked, 'The one to trap Zhan Tiri?'
'So the story says,' Xavier replied, 'It is believed that Demanitus found another way to gain access strictly to the realm of the Library and no others. We all saw where the previous portal of his led us to.'
Varian shuddered, his hand going to his hair stripe which had been turned into a snake in that strange realm. He had no desire to repeat that experience.
'And we don't know what this fuel source is?'
'That is what the trials were told to reveal to those who completed them. But as I said, no one has been able to do so, so the story became lost to time.'
Varian's heart was hammering. His mother had found out about that story and had decided there was enough evidence of truth in it to be worth pursuing. And she had made it through at least five of the seven trials if she had left them to pursue the sixth. That proved they were real. And if they were real... then the Eternal Library must be too. Stranger things had happened.
'The Eternal Library,' he mused, eyes alight with wonder. 'Somewhere that holds the entire knowledge of all of mankind. Can you imagine?'
'It sounds like a wondrous place,' Xavier admitted, 'Though I am not sure this story is true or not. As I said, it faded over time. Even the best stories can become distorted and misconstrued if interpreted enough ways. It very well could be the trials and library are a metaphor for the lifetime of research Demanitus undertook to understand the world around us. No one knows.'
But Ulla had known. And now, so did Varian.
'What has brought on this sudden interest, if I may ask?' Xavier continued as Varian rose to mount Orion again.
'I was... reading about it in a new book.'
With that, he waved farewell to Xavier, mind humming as he rode back to Old Corona. Quirin was adjusting one of Varian's new irrigation pumps in the corn fields when Varian returned, his relieved smile at seeing his son outside fading as he saw the fixated look he was giving him.
'Can I please have mom's journal back?' Varian asked, forgoing any greeting.
Quirin sighed. 'And what have you found out?'
'I know what she was looking for and I... I want to know how far she got before...'
Quirin frowned, looking down at Varian who shuffled his feet and finally looked away. His face fell. 'You want to go and find the trials, don't you?'
Varian sighed heavily, already knowing Quirin would refuse, but nodded anyway. Sure enough, Quirin's face darkened even further and he snapped, 'Absolutely not. I won't let my own son go haring off on some fool's errand and get himself killed for a fantasy.'
'Dad!' Varian replied but Quirin turned away as if he could block out whatever Varian was going to say.
'No, I won't hear it!' Quirin retorted, 'I won't lose you too. I never should have let you read that journal. I should have known you couldn't resist.'
'Dad, could you just listen to me?' Varian shouted, running around him to glare up at his face.
'No, Varian. For once you need to listen to me! This journey your mother went on, it got her killed. She dragged herself all across the Seven Kingdoms for nothing more than a story that most people can't even remember anymore! She died for nothing, and I won't let you do the same. It's my job to protect you-'
'Protect me from what?' Varian replied furiously, 'From finding out who mom was? From actually getting to see the other kingdoms and maybe learn something that could help Corona? From finding out just what Demanitus was guarding for a thousand years? If the story is true and the Eternal Library is real, imagine what it could do for all of us!'
The two glared at each other, neither backing down, as the villagers around them stared in shock at the usually calm man face down his enthusiastic but well-meaning son.
'Can I just talk to you about it without you doing... this?' Varian asked, gesturing to Quirin who was standing as if he was about to start swinging a sword in his anger.
Quirin sighed, nodding curtly and turned to march back to their home, Varian trailing behind him. Inside, Quirin seemed to be avoiding Varian's eyes, setting a pot over the stove to boil some water. Varian sat at the dining table, waiting until Quirin finally sat down opposite him, glaring at the table as if it was the cause of all his problems.
'I went into the city and spoke to Xavier,' Varian began in a measured tone, 'He told me all about the story of Demanitus' trials and the Eternal Library, everything that Mom wrote about in her journal.'
'Then you should know that's all they are, stories,' Quirin replied and Varian sighed.
'Except we both know that's not true. You said that you met Mom when she was trying to complete the trial in the Dark Kingdom. She completed it, right? Then you both came to Corona.'
'And she almost died then as well,' Quirin replied, 'These trials might exist but the Eternal Library is a fantasy, and the trials are nothing more than a ruse to lure in the foolish to their deaths.'
'Is that what you thought Mom was? Foolish?'
Quirin gaped at Varian, his mouth working for a moment before he replied, 'No, of course not. Your mother was brilliant.'
'Dad, you've seen what kinds of machines Demanitus was capable of making. You saw that portal thing he made to trap Zhan Tiri. And I might not have made them, but you've seen what's in his journal. If he said that the Eternal Library is true, I believe him. And Mom did too.'
'I just... You may be eighteen now, son. But you're all I have left. I can't watch you leave and never come back. Not like her. I can't.'
Varian's heart broke a little at the sound of his father's words and he reached across the table to take his hand.
'I just want to read her journal,' he assured him, 'For now, at least. But if I believe what she wrote about the trials and I want to go, are you going to stop me?'
Quirin laughed, eyes shining with unshed tears. 'Stop you? No one could ever stop you once you set your mind to something. That's what scares me the most about all this. I've seen how fixated you can get when there's a problem to solve. I don't want you getting in over your head with something like this, something you're not prepared for. It's only us now. If I lose you too, I won't have anything left.'
Varian swallowed, feeling a painful lump swell in his throat. He'd always seen his father as someone so brave, so stoic and strong and unflappable. But here, sitting before him, he was seeing for the first time just how broken he was at his mother's disappearance. He'd never really noticed it before, but now he was wondering how he could have been so blind to it. But more than that, he hated how right he was. Varian could get in over his head in his search for answers. It had happened with the black rocks caused by the moonstone all those years ago. And what had come of that was Quirin getting trapped in an unbreakable amber for months, Varian attacking the royal family and getting thrown in prison. He was only free now thanks to Rapunzel's goodwill and faith in him. But still...
'I'm not that same kid anymore, Dad,' Varian said quietly, 'You may not see it but I've learned so much since I faced Zhan Tiri. I need to know that you can trust me, to know that I'm not going to walk away and never come back. Because I will come back, Dad. I'll always come back. I promise.'
Quirin looked at him again, tears finally falling. 'Your mother said those exact words to me.'
Varian was silent, unsure how to keep trying to convince him. He'd argued his point as much as he was able to, and he could definitely see why his dad was so adamant against him learning more from the journal. But he knew, deep down, this was something he had to do, if not for the Eternal Library, then to just find out what exactly had happened to his mother and finally close this chapter on both of their lives.
His father silently rose, taking the now boiling pot off the stove and disappeared upstairs. A few minutes later, he returned with Ulla's journal in hand, setting it on the table between them.
'Just... let me know if you find anything you think I might like to know.'
Varian nodded, about to stand and return to his lab, before sitting back down again and pulling his notebook and quill from his jacket and setting up right there at the table. Quirin looked surprised at this, before he smiled and began pouring tea for them both, content to sit and wait as Varian picked up where he'd left off earlier.
'She's talking about how she first found out about the trials,' he explained, 'She was researching in Nesdernia's university when she found a book that talked about them. She says it inspired her to look more into Demanitus and his research which is what connected her with her partner, Donella. They both thought the stories were fake too, but they thought they'd travel to Bayangor where the first trial is supposed to be. When the found it, they couldn't believe it and they decided to complete the rest of them to try to find the Eternal Library. Listen to this: "Donnie thinks I'm crazy, but I can't help it! The idea that Demanitus has left us something like this is intoxicating! How can I not want to find out all I can?"'
Quirin laughed. 'She sounds just like you.'
Varian grinned, finishing the first few entries that detailed how Ulla and Donella had prepared to travel to Bayangor and what the trip was like from Nesdernia.
'I wish you had known her,' Quirin finally sighed.
'This might be my chance to,' Varian replied and Quirin gave him a crooked smile.
'Trying to get on my soft side, eh?'
'Come on, I know you're a big softie all over,' Varian replied and Quirin barked a laugh, looking at his son with such deep love that Varian almost started questioning his insistence on his plan.
'At least give me some time to get used to the idea,' Quirin finally sighed and Varian's heart leapt. 'It'll... give you time to prepare. Even if Bayangor is the first stop, it's still a good month's travel away.'
'Really?' Varian asked, shocked.
'Like I said, there's no stopping you once you've got your mind set on something. All I can do is help however I can and... and pray that you come back home.'
Varian was on his feet and spinning around the table to give Quirin a tight hug, hoping it would convey just how much he loved him.
'Don't thank me just yet,' Quirin muttered, 'You've still got to tell the princess why her Royal Engineer is suddenly leaving the kingdom.'
Varian wasn't worried about that. If anyone would understand, it'd be Rapunzel.
'Oh Varian, that's so exciting!' Rapunzel exclaimed when he stood in her office the next day, 'You're going off on your own adventure! Following your mom's notes no less! You're going to have so much fun.'
'Well, it won't all be fun,' Varian admitted, patting his satchel where Ulla's journal was packed, 'These trials are supposed to be the most dangerous tests Demanitus has ever made. Way more than that maze he had you and Eugene going through it sounds like.'
'I don't know. Did I mention the unstoppable stone golem thing?'
Varian grinned but it faded as he continued, 'But I suppose it means I'll have to resign as Royal Engineer. Can't exactly keep working if I'm halfway across the world.'
'Resign?' Rapunzel demanded, 'Absolutely not! Think of this more as an... extended vacation! You'll still have your job when you get back. I just hope Eugene will be able to cope if there are any malfunctions with the hot water.'
Varian was shocked at that, but he supposed it made some kind of sense. There wasn't really anyone else in Corona that could do what he could.
'And what about all of you?' he asked, 'Will you guys be okay if I have to leave for a few months? Maybe even a year?'
'Of course we will,' Rapunzel assured him, 'This is way too important for us to try to hold you back. I just want you to know that we'll all be cheering you on and we'll be waiting for you to come home when you're ready.'
Varian grinned, shocked that he had such a good friend as Rapunzel.
'Have you thought about when you're going to leave?' she continued, moving to stand before a large map of the Seven Kingdoms she'd painted on her wall. 'Bayangor's capital city would take about a month to get to. Plus you'll need to pack enough food and supplies. We could probably spare you a caravan but I don't know about horses...'
'No caravan,' Varian quickly said, 'I want to try to keep a low profile. Demanitus kept these trials and the Library a secret for a reason. If people hear that the Royal Engineer of Corona is trying to complete them, they'll be swarming all over the place trying to find them as well.'
'Good point. A tent then. But you still might need a horse to carry some stuff. I assume you'll probably want to bring some alchemy supplies with you.'
That made Varian pause. He hadn't really considered that, so used to having everything he needed on hand.
'I suppose there's a lot more to do than I thought,' he mused and Rapunzel grinned.
'You think? But don't worry. This is important to you which means it's important to me. Whatever you need, you've got it with all of Corona behind you.'
'Thanks, Rapunzel. For everything.'
In all, it took Varian over a month to get everything prepared for his departure. It wasn't just packing enough supplies, obtaining camping gear, and gathering all the gold he'd saved, but he also needed to prepare Corona's machinery to be able to keep functioning without him there to maintain it. Ultimately Xavier was the one who volunteered for that role and Varian had to give him a crash course in everything to do with his hot water systems, his defence systems, everything he'd built for the benefit of the kingdom since he'd gotten his position as Royal Engineer. Xavier, with a lifetime of blacksmithing behind him, took to it with ease, understanding the importance of the finer details that most might have overlooked. He could see how much the machines meant to Varian and assured the young alchemist that he would take care of everything while he was away. For that, Varian was grateful. Xavier had such a calm, self-assured aura about him that everything he said made the problems of the world seem far more manageable that they initially appeared.
But finally, Varian's last night in Old Corona arrived and naturally, Rapunzel had to throw a farewell party to celebrate. And she'd apparently invited most of the entire kingdom to attend. The village was overflowing with people taking part in the festivities, their voices wishing him all the best on his 'mysterious journey' starting to blend together. He was finally able to retreat to a hay bale near his house where Eugene was sitting, munching on a caramel apple.
'So, last night at home, huh?' Eugene asked and Varian nodded, the idea that he was about to leave the only home he'd ever really known still not quite sinking in.
'You're so lucky, you know,' Eugene continued and Varian looked over at him.
'How's that?'
'Well... you've got all this to come back to. Growing up in an orphanage, I couldn't wait to get out and never look back. I don't even remember the people I grew up with. But you've got all this.'
He gestured out to the crowds of people, all gathered to say farewell to Varian and his heart clenched tightly. It wasn't that long ago that he'd betrayed and attacked these people out of his misplaced anger and grief at losing his father. Now here they were, wishing him all the best and showering him with love and affection as if they were worried he'd run out while he was away.
'Yeah...' he mused, feeling a pang of sorrow.
Eugene must have heard it in his voice as he looked over, putting a comforting arm around his shoulders. 'Don't look so glum, kid. Like I said, you've got all this to come back to, but you've also got the whole wide world out there just waiting for you. Imagine all the incredible things you'll see and do! All the people you'll meet! So long as you don't, you know, get killed by these trials or whatever.'
'I'm not really planning on death,' he replied before looking down at his hands. 'I've never really been one for making friends. When you and Rapunzel came into my lab that day, you were really the first people I'd spoken to about my alchemy, you know, outside of my dad. And you were definitely the first to see that it could actually be useful for something. Even if I did almost destroy the whole village afterwards.'
'But now we've got hot running water!' Eugene reminded him, flicking his hair back, 'And my scalp has never been happier.'
'I just hope I won't miss you guys too much,' Varian continued, 'I have to keep these trials a secret so it'll really only be me and Ruddiger. And Prometheus, I suppose.'
He glanced towards the stable where Quirin's old donkey, Prometheus, was chewing on some hay. He'd offered him to Varian as a parting gift, telling him to go easy on the old boy whose farming days were well behind him.
'I suppose,' Eugene said, 'But you never know. Try to keep an open mind out there.'
Before Varian could reply, a loud thump made him turn back towards his house with a frown.
'Ruddiger?' he called, but moments later the raccoon appeared beside him, licking his hands that looked like they were covered in pastry crumbs. He'd definitely not come from inside the house. But Quirin was across the road, talking animatedly with Rapunzel so there should be no one inside.
He rose to his feet and Eugene immediately followed, seeing Varian's shift in demeanour and quickly starting to reach for the sword at his belt. Varian drew one of his sticky traps from his pocket, always carrying at least one on him most times. Together, they padded towards Varian's front door, silently pushing it open and staring into the dark interior. Varian was tempted to call out, but something told him that might be a bad idea. If someone was breaking in, he didn't want to go and let them know they'd been heard. He glanced back at Eugene to make sure he was covering his back before slowly stepping inside. There was no one in the kitchen or sitting room and the door to his lab was still firmly locked. So Varian slowly inched upstairs, immediately noticing that his bedroom door was slightly ajar when he was certain he'd closed it. He looked back at Eugene and pointed and Eugene silently moved in front of him, making sure his sword didn't catch on any light as he slowly looked inside Varian's room. Varian saw him tense and he knew that whatever had made that noise, Eugene had spotted it.
'Stop!' Eugene suddenly barked, his voice shattering the silence, 'Captain of the Guard! Drop it!'
Eugene charged into the room and Varian was right behind him, alchemy orb raised as he took in the sight of a tall, lanky figure dressed in all black standing over his desk, his mother's journal in his hands. He was impossible to make out properly with a large black cloak disguising his figure with the hood pulled low over his face. What would have been visible of his lower face was covered by a black bandana.
'Hey!' Varian shouted but the person turned to leap towards the open window where he must have entered from. He was fast, that much was clear, but Ruddiger was faster, racing across the room and latching onto the man just as he leapt out the window. Varian raced to stare out after him, watching as he slid down a rope hooked to his windowsill, swatting at Ruddiger with one hand as the raccoon tried to claw the book away from him.
'Eugene!' Varian exclaimed, turning. But Eugene had already bolted from the room, racing downstairs to try to intercept the man. Varian didn't hesitate, grabbing the rope and lunging out after the man who was already sprinting towards the forest where he'd be sure to lose his pursuers in the trees. As he hit the ground and began to run after him, he saw Eugene hot on the man's heels, whistling loudly. Moments later, the massive white form of Max burst onto the scene, easily catching up and allowing Eugene to swing into the saddle. The thief was only a few paces ahead, still trying to throw Ruddiger off, when he turned and threw a glass vial straight at the ground at Max's feet. It exploded into a cloud of blue gas and as Varian approached, he could see a substance that looked like blue glass pinning the horse's hooves to the ground. Eugene vaulted over Max's head, rolling to break his fall, only for the thief to grab Ruddiger by the scruff and throw him straight into Eugene's face. Eugene shouted and stumbled back, giving the thief the perfect chance to get away. But Varian wasn't going to give up, throwing his alchemy orb as hard as he could. It exploded against the tree the thief was running past, catching his left hand and dragging him to a halt so suddenly that Ulla's journal in his other hand was flung ahead of him into the brush. Ruddiger was there in an instant, scooping up the journal that was almost as big as he was, and dragging it away, leaving Varian to approach the struggling man with Eugene.
'Nice try, but it's over,' Eugene snapped, raising his sword, 'No one can get out of that stuff. Believe me, I've tried.'
The thief paused for a moment as if considering his words, before his free hand dove into his cloak and pulled out a new vial, this one full of a golden liquid Varian didn't recognise.
'Get back!' he shouted to Eugene, grabbing his arm and dragging him backwards. But instead of throwing it at them, the thief threw it at the tree, surrounding both it and himself with golden vapour. Varian caught a brief glimpse of the thief yanking his arm away from the rapidly deteriorating sticky trap before he bolted into the darkness of the forest without a second glance.
'Captain!'
Varian looked back to see a number of royal guards had approached now with their weapons drawn, startled by the brief commotion.
'Search the forest,' Eugene ordered, 'Someone just broke into Varian's house to steal his journal.'
The men saluted and hurried into the woods as Ruddiger reached Varian's feet, pawing at his legs.
'Thanks, bud,' he said quietly, accepting the journal from him and flipping through it to make sure no pages had been lost. He was relieved to find it intact, slipping it into his jacket before turning back to Max to try to figure out what was sticking him to the ground, and what he could use to counter it. The thief might not have been so lucky this time, but one thing was clear to Varian: someone knew about the trials as well and it seemed they were determined to stop him from reaching them. Which only made him realise just how important this mission was becoming. If someone was willing to go to such lengths as to steal his mother's journal, there must be something worthwhile at the end of the trials. Whether or not that was the Eternal Library was still up for debate, but Varian was determined to find out now, no matter what.
The thief didn't stop running until he had passed Corona's walls and had hidden himself deep enough into the forest that the guards would never be able to find him before he'd be long gone. He looked down at his gloved left hand, some pink traces of the kid's trap still lingering despite countering its properties. He wasn't looking forward to reporting his failure to Cyrus, but he was sure he could spin it in his favour; he always could. But what had initially been a simple, straight forward mission had quickly become something far more interesting to him as he looked back towards Corona.
'Clever alchemist,' he muttered to himself, 'Very clever.'