It was impossible to tell when dawn arrived thanks to the wall of snow at the mouth of the cave, but Varian tended to rise early thanks to living on a farm where the chores didn't care if he was tired. So he sat up and tried to come up with some way to clear the snow. His arm was still stinging from the night before, but at least it now had full feeling back which he was relieved about. A quick check of his supplies showed that he still had some vials of Flynnoleum left, but it was more of an explosive than a steady heat and he didn't think it would be a great idea to explode a bomb in such a confined space. Hugo seemed to be doing his best to ignore their brief argument from the previous night and moved to join Varian in assessing the snow.
'A flamethrower would be great right about now,' Varian commented drily.
'Well if someone hadn't insisted we climb the mountain pass instead of waiting a little, I'd probably have one by now,' Hugo shot back.
Before they could launch into another argument, Yong quietly began working behind them, pulling minerals out of one of Prometheus' saddle bags and starting to grind them into powders.
'Watcha got, Shortstack?' Hugo asked over his shoulder.
'More black powder,' Yong replied and Varian's head whipped up.
'Is it really the best idea to be making that here?' he asked and Yong hesitated, uncertain now.
'Leave him alone, Goggles,' Hugo retorted, 'Unless you got some other way of getting us outta here.'
Varian waved him away, watching Yong as he carefully processed the minerals from their dwindling supplies. Varian was curious despite himself, never having seen black powder be made before. And despite Yong's less than perfect track record with fireworks, he definitely had a knack for making black powder, measuring the minerals up carefully until he had a small pile that he scooped into a glass flask.
'Ta da!' he exclaimed, holding it up, 'Black powder! Let's melt that snow!'
He began to pour the powder over as much of the snow as he could, Hugo having to take over to reach the highest sections where it was hopefully thinner. When the flask was empty, Varian pushed Prometheus to the very far end of the cave, which was only about a yard or so from the entrance, and Yong struck the match.
'Fire in the hole!' he called and dropped the match, quickly retreating behind the others. The powder took immediately and Varian watched with surprise when the snow did in fact start to melt, hissing and steaming. Unfortunately, unlike Varian's Flynnoleum, black powder tended to fizzle out once it got wet and far sooner than any of them had hoped, it had been smothered by the snow.
'Well, it was a good try,' Varian said as Yong seemed to deflate.
'Now it's time for the hard part,' Hugo added, wrapping some cloth around his hands and beginning to dig. The rest of them fell in beside him, tunneling their way through the snow as fast as they could and hoping that it didn't all come crashing down on top of them. It was Ruddiger who was the first to squeeze through to the surface, quickly turning to excavate the escape they'd made. In total it took them around half an hour to clamber back out, and another twenty minutes to haul Prometheus up after them. Despite the temperatures, all of them were breathless and sweating by the time they'd returned to the path, though Hugo insisted none of them take off their jackets.
If Varian had hoped the blizzard would pass overnight, he was sorely mistaken. The wind that whipped against his face physically hurt and he hastened to pull his goggles down and bandana up. Yong was bundled up as much as he was able, giving the impression of a large ball of fur while Hugo looked to be advancing onward out of pure spite than anything else. But thankfully, now that day had arrived, there were no more snowgeists and they were able to proceed steadily, if a lot more slowly, up the path. It took them until noon to reach the top of the slope and Varian couldn't help but pause as he gaped down at the valley below. Galcrest was a magnificent city that seemed to spring right up out of the rock, low, solid buildings blending in with the landscape that made it impossible to tell where its outer limits were. There were only three larger towers that rose up amongst the rest, and the higher they got, the more they seemed to be constructed out of ice rather than stone. The most magnificent of these stood at the far side of the city, a frozen waterfall locked in place as it cascaded around it like some kind of gem-encrusted cloak. There were more glaciers here as well, the largest being the one the frozen waterfall descended from as if it was about to crash down over the entire city. The city itself was built up to a sheer stone wall to the east, but the valley continued on to the west where more glaciers peeked out from amongst the mountains, all contributing towards a massive frozen river that snaked away into the distance. Despite the cold, the city seemed remarkably sheltered thanks to the natural mountain walls around it, and Varian could see people moving about amongst the streets as if the blizzard was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
'We gonna stand here gawking all day?' Hugo demanded, arms wrapped around himself as he began to descend the winding path into the valley.
The moment they were off the crest of the pass, the wind was abruptly cut off and even with the snow still falling, the air felt just that tiny bit warmer. There were no others on the road as they descended, no one else insane enough to brave the pass at this time of year, so the group definitely earned more than a few confused looks as they entered the city. There were only a smattering of guards about; it seemed Galcrest relied mostly on the natural defences the landscape around them provided. It was an effective strategy to be sure. The only real sign that they had actually entered the city was a line of glass orbs containing warm yellow flames sticking up on stone plinths around the city. They gave off a surprising amount of heat and Varian couldn't help huddling closer to one, the ice on his jacket starting to melt.
'Did you three come through the southern pass?'
He looked over to see a man who looked to be in his sixties watching them from a stone doorway nearby, looking baffled at the sight of them.
'We did,' Varian replied.
The man gaped before shaking his head and turning back inside, muttering about foolish kids these days.
Neither Yong or Hugo protested when Varian suggested they find an inn to shelter in, Hugo pointing out a large, two-storeyed building not far from the edge of town that stood solidly above its neighbours. It had no sign, but carved above the doorway was an image of a bear on its hind legs, looking up at a crescent moon. Above that was what Varian could only guess was the inn's name in Galcrestian, but he had no idea how to even begin pronouncing it.
Hugo ushered them inside and Varian was quick to purchase lodging for the three of them as well as a stall for Prometheus who moved faster than Varian had ever seen at the prospect of some nice warm hay. The moment he was settled, Varian collapsed at the table closest to the roaring hearth in the centre of the room, finally feeling warm enough to pull his hood back.
'You three are from the south, aren't ya?' the innkeeper called and Varian glanced up.
'Yeah. We've just come from Bayangor.'
'Bit cold for ya then?'
There was a smattering of chuckles from the other patrons and Varian grinned, nodding.
'That little one looks like a snowball,' a woman laughed and Yong pouted, burrowing deeper into his jacket.
But despite their very clear aversion to the cold, the Galcrestians seemed incredibly hospitable, several of them offering to buy them warm drinks or offering blankets.
'What brings three kids to Galcrest this time of year?' the innkeeper continued, 'Most people aren't crazy enough to brave the southern pass in avalanche season. Let alone three kids.'
'Come off it, Panuk!' one of the men called across the room, 'Can't you tell they're here for our lovely balmy weather!'
'Oh, yes! I think I saw Jago actually take off a layer this morning!' another man called, 'Practically tropical!'
The room erupted into guffaws and Varian grinned, relieved that they seemed to have distracted themselves from questioning the newcomers.
'Here, get this down ya,' the innkeeper said, handing them each a large bowl of stew. To Varian, the taste wasn't particularly pleasant, but it was hot and filling and that was all that mattered. He scarfed it down in record time which only seemed to amuse the Galcrestians more.
'So the little one is Bayangorian?' one of the woman nearby asked and Varian nodded. 'Then what about you two? You don't strike me as hailing from that part of the world.'
'I'm Coronan,' Varian replied and when it became clear Hugo wasn't going to answer, he added, 'Hugo's Ingvarrian.'
'Oh ho! Quite a ways from home, you all are. Well, you won't find a kinder people than us Galcrestians. You've gotta stick close together if you're planning on surviving this cold.'
'Take on some snowgeists, did you?' Panuk the innkeeper asked, gesturing to the tear in Varian's sleeve. 'You might want to get that jacket of yours repaired. Might not look like much, but the cold always finds a way to sneak through the gaps. Try Meriwa's tailor shop. She can mend anything.'
'I'll keep an eye out. Just by chance, would there happen to be somewhere around here that sells minerals and chemicals?'
'Plenty of minerals around here,' the woman replied, 'Arnaq's shop would be the closest to here. As for chemicals... I wouldn't know, love.'
Varian thanked her anyway. He was sure he could restock most of his gear with Galcrestian minerals. They'd need it if this trial was anything like the fire trial. Speaking of which. The people here seemed friendly enough so he pulled his mother's journal from his satchel and began scanning through it for any sign of where the trial was located here. As with the fire trial, there was an empty space where Ulla and Donella had actually done the trial, but the entry beforehand seemed to detail where the entrance actually was. Some place called the Trail of Change near the Tiriaq Glacier. He'd never heard of either of those things, and he glanced to Hugo who looked to be dozing off.
'Hugo, have you heard of the Trail of Change?' he asked quietly and Hugo glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.
'Nope,' he replied, 'That where we're heading?'
Varian nodded. 'It's near the Tiriaq Glacier.'
'Doesn't ring a bell either. But last time I was here I didn't exactly come for a hike in the mountains.'
Varian hummed quietly, glancing around the room. He didn't exactly want to advertise why they were here, but it was quickly becoming apparent that they'd need some local knowledge if they were going to find this trial. He'd gotten lucky with Yong in Bayangor but now they were on their own. Or maybe not... That woman he'd been speaking to earlier had said that Galcrestians stuck together, and they seemed more than willing to help strangers in their midst. Maybe he could ask.
Making his decision, he rose and approached the woman's table where she was chatting animatedly with two others who looked up at his approach.
'Excuse me,' he began quietly and the woman quickly pulled out one of the spare chairs, gesturing to him to sit.
'What do you need, dear?'
'Me and my friends are actually looking for something,' he admitted, 'A place called the Trail of Change.'
The three woman's faces went from jovial to serious in less than a heartbeat and Varian froze, suspecting he might have made a mistake. But just as quickly, the woman's face softened as she seemed to take in his appearance more thoroughly now.
'Ah, I see. Is that why you've come then? Some introspection?'
Varian frowned, not entirely sure what she was meaning. So he replied, 'I don't know. We were told we'd be able to... find something we're looking for there.'
'I'm sure you will,' one of the other women commented gently which wasn't exactly reassuring to Varian.
'The Trail of Change is a very sacred place,' the first woman explained in a quiet voice, 'Our people have been visiting it for centuries. It's hidden under the Tiriaq Glacier to the west of here, but it's not somewhere I'd advise you go without... preparation.'
'Why?' Varian asked, 'What is it exactly?'
'It's different for everyone, really,' she continued, 'The spirits there can sense your innermost thoughts and feelings, and they can show you visions of your past. People go there to confront their trauma, or remember something important, or even to see how they have grown as a person. That's how it got it's name, see? The Trail will show you how you have changed over the course of your life to be the person you are now. But it's not an easy path. Many people are confronted by things they would rather forget, but they can only proceed once they acknowledge every aspect of themselves to come out on the other side.'
Varian swallowed nervously and his fear must have shown because she put a comforting hand on his. 'If you've been told to come here, I take it you're on a journey to find yourself?'
Varian nodded. What else could he do?
'Then you must be brave, but you must also accept all the things that have happened over the course of your life. But take this warning; you cannot stop moving, else you will be frozen in the past, and in time, you will join with the spirits of the glacier itself.'
Varian shivered, though this time it wasn't from the cold. He nodded, quietly thanking her before returning to the fire and the others.
'What'd you find?' Hugo asked, seeing his deep frown.
'It's west of here,' he admitted, 'The Galcrestians know about it. But... we might be in some trouble.'
He quickly told them everything he'd learned, but to his surprise, neither of them looked too concerned about it.
'So what's a little introspection?' Hugo replied, 'We've just gotta keep moving, right? Shouldn't be too hard.'
'Yeah, I'm sure we'll be fine,' Yong added, 'Can't be any worse than those firework dragons, right?'
Varian finally nodded, forcing himself to appear relaxed and confident, but inside his mind was racing. There were countless things he wasn't proud of in his past, things he'd prefer to forget. If this trail was about to dig up his deepest, darkest secrets and expose them to the world, was he ready to face them? To face how the others might react? He barely knew Hugo so he told himself he didn't particularly care what he thought, but already he considered Yong one of his closest friends. He couldn't bear the idea of him seeing what Varian had done and hating him for it. Or even worse, fearing him.
They spent the rest of the day at the inn, all of them lacking any kind of energy or motivation to venture out into the city while the snow was still falling. So the day passed them by and they retired to their room, Varian lost in thought as he lay back on the bed of animal furs. Ruddiger curled up on his chest, his comforting weight keeping Varian grounded as his thoughts raced. He thought he'd been hiding it well, but across the room, Hugo was glancing at him surreptitiously, clearly seeing the concern on his face, but staying silent. Varian didn't get much sleep that night.
Hugo was awake long after the others had nodded off, watching Varian curiously. The kid wouldn't last a minute in Ingvarr because he was awful at hiding how he was feeling. Anyone could see the stress that was creasing his face once they'd found out about the Trail of Change. And Hugo was intrigued. What kind of secrets was a supposed farm boy from Corona hiding that would cause him to react this way at the thought of facing his past? Even if he wasn't the same silver-spoon noble as the ones Hugo had interacted with, he didn't think his life could have been that hard. He was the Royal Engineer, after all. Hugo hadn't been concerned about facing his own past; it was a badge he wore proudly at this point, but it suddenly struck him that if everything about his life was going to be put on display, his deal with Donella would be exposed. And that was something he absolutely could not let happen. Why hadn't Donella warned him? Where was Cyrus?
He glanced at the others, making sure they were asleep, before silently rising and pulling on his jacket to step outside. The night was dangerously cold in the mountains, but Galcrest made sure that anyone outside the safety of their homes wouldn't freeze to death. Those glowing orbs on their pedestals were frequent enough that Hugo could walk confidently between them without fear of hypothermia and he marvelled at the amount of heat they were giving off. He didn't know Galcrest as well as the other kingdoms, but he knew that Cyrus wouldn't be inclined to meet him in the open next to a glowing golden beacon. So he sighed and moved away into the nearest dark alley, wrapping his arms around himself to try to keep his body heat from escaping. Cyrus had to have been waiting for him because it didn't take him long to appear, sporting his own furs though these were dyed black as if to match the rest of his armour.
'Did you seriously go out of your way to get black furs to suit your aesthetic?' Hugo asked incredulously, 'I didn't think you were that vain.'
'Black blends in better than that,' Cyrus retorted, gesturing to Hugo's browns and whites. 'Have you found anything useful?'
'Well you can give Donella my heartfelt thanks for letting me know the alchemist is the Royal Engineer of Corona. That was really great to know.'
Cyrus' brows moved together just enough to give Hugo pause. 'Wait... she didn't know?'
'What else?'
Hugo was grinning now. It was a rare thing for Donella, the self-proclaimed queen of information, to not know something as significant as that and he had to savour it for a moment. Cyrus could clearly see he was enjoying himself.
'Hugo,' he snapped, voice as cold as the air around them.
'Right, right. Well, this trial is supposedly in a place called the Trail of Change. I'm guessing Donella knew that?'
Cyrus was silent but that was confirmation enough for Hugo.
'You know, it might actually be helpful for me to do my job if you two would actually tell me some of the things I'm getting into,' he snapped.
'The less you know about the trials, the better,' Cyrus replied sternly, 'You can't suddenly have all the information if you want to keep your cover. It would raise too much suspicion.'
'And I've told them that I've researched the trials which is why I'm out here in the first place! You'd think I'd know something.'
Cyrus was silent for a moment and again, Hugo knew he'd made a good point. Finally, he replied, 'The Trail of Change is only the first part of this trial. Make it through that, and you will be faced with an alchemy-based test. So you'd better hope your skills are as sharp as you claim.'
That was clearly all Cyrus was willing to give him and Hugo nodded, making a mental note. With that, Cyrus turned and disappeared down the alley again and Hugo sighed at how dramatic he was being. He couldn't just walk away like a normal person? He shivered, suddenly realising just how cold he was and hurried back to the lamp, sighing with relief before slowly making his way back to the inn. Knowing what the second part of the trial was was all well and good, but if his secrets were all revealed during the first part, then this whole mission would go up in smoke. He couldn't let that happen, but he had no idea how to stop it. It would be way too suspicious if he refused to enter the Trail of Change, especially after he'd been so insistent on accompanying the two to Galcrest in the first place. He silently cursed Donella once again for putting him in this predicament as he returned to the room, wrapping himself in his furs as he tried to come up with a plan.