Varian and the Seven Kingdoms (Varian's Seven Trials)

Varian's Cold

"Achoo!" Varian sneezed into the crook of his arm for the millionth time that morning. Nuru, Hugo and Yong all sat far away from the desk, bandanas wrapped around their faces.
"Varian, I think you should rest." Nuru spoke up and Varian looked over at his friends; tired eyes looking them up and down.
"You're overreacting..." Varian said in a congested voice, "I'm fine."
"You don't sound it, Stripes." Hugo angled his head up in an attempt to stop his glasses from steaming up.
"Come on, it's a little col- achoo!" Varian sneezed into his arm again and Yong held his bandana to his face tightly.
"Varian, go to bed!" Yong yelled.
"What good'll that do?" Varian sniffed.
"If you're asleep you can't sneeze everywhere."
"I need to figure out how to put these totems together." Varian grabbed a totem and Hugo rolled his eyes and walked over grabbing Varian's arm.
"Come on, Goggles. You can work later."
"Hugo- I'm ah- a-choo!"
Hugo moved away for a moment to pull his bandana further up his face then pulled Varian up out of his seat. He spun the boy in the direction of his bed, pushing him along.
"Hugo-"
"You're gettin' some rest. Don't worry- we'll have you feeling better in no time." Hugo nudged the boy to his bed and Varian reluctantly climbed under the blanket.
"Alright. I'll take a quick nap."
"We should stop in the next village- I'll make you some soup!" Yong exclaimed.
"Maybe there's a spell we could use to speed up the healing process." Nuru suggested, walking over to the desk.
"Come on, Princess- let 'im rest it off." Hugo crossed his arms and Nuru scoffed.
"It's your fault he's sick in the first place."
"My fault?" Hugo asked.
"You made him swim around in freezing cold water, didn't you?"
"It wasn't that cold- besides, that's all superstition. You can't catch a cold from being cold." Hugo rolled his eyes.
"Well, being cold makes it more likely you catch a cold- that's what my mom always says." Yong added.
"Yong's right." Varian said from under the blanket.
"Alright- I'm sorry for making you swim around in freezing water. Ok?" Hugo turned to face Varian's bed again and the dark-haired boy gave a very wide smile.
"Apology accepted."
Hugo couldn't help but smile in return, "Y'know, if you weren't sick..."
"Yeah?" Varian grinned.
"Could you stop flirting and help me get this book down?" Nuru looked to Hugo. The blonde smirked and walked over to the shelf Nuru was reaching for. He grabbed a book and placed it in her hands.
"Thank you." The Princess smiled and walked to the table, sitting down to read. Yong joined her while Hugo opened some windows then removed the bandana from his face.

Varian pulled the blanket up over his mouth, "Kinda cold." He joked, shivering at the breeze coming in through the now opened windows.
"Sorry, Stripes. Gotta keep well-ventilated if we don't wanna catch whatever you got." Hugo chuckled, gathering blankets from everyone else's beds and throwing them to Varian. The boy began piling the blankets on then heaved a heavy sigh,
"Find anything?" He asked Nuru.
"There's an elixir we could make." The Princess suggested.
"He won't need an elixir after I've made one of my mama's famous soups." Yong slammed down a book on the table.
"Famous?" Hugo grinned.
"Well...Ms. Jian next door really likes them." Yong smiled.
"It's a nice idea, Yong...but soup doesn't actually have any healing prop-" Nuru was cut off by Yong's shushing.
"You haven't tried my mama's soup, Nuru." The young boy explained, smugly.
"True- but wouldn't it make more sense to use an elixir which is assured to work?"
"Why is an elixir sure to work but soup isn't?" Yong furrowed his brows.
"It's magic." Nuru responded, plainly.
"Or we could all shut up a while so Goggles can rest it off." Hugo responded.
"Of course that's your solution." Nuru laughed.
"What's that s'posed to mean?" Hugo narrowed his eyes.
"You're kinda lazy." Yong responded and Hugo scoffed.
"Lazy?"
"Lazy." Nuru and Yong confirmed in unison.
"You sleep in late, go to bed early- you never do the cooking." Nuru listed.
"Stripes- back me up here. I am not lazy." Hugo spun around to face the pile of shivering blankets which was Varian.
"No comment." The boy muttered and Hugo crossed his arms.
"Ok, alright- while we're pointing out each other's flaws- Princess; you need to stop helpin' yourself to other people's stuff.
Goggles and Sparkles are too nice to say anything but I've had enough o'you 'borrowing' my tools."
"I return them." Nuru protested.
"Really? So where're my pliers?" Hugo questioned and the Princess opened her mouth several times to respond, unsure how.
"I may have put them with Varian's things." She looked genuinely apologetic as she spoke, and when Hugo sighed, she continued, "I'm sorry! I get confused with what's who's."
"So, get your own tools." Hugo suggested.
"It seems a little pointless to have three sets off tools."
"If it means you're not taking mine-"
"Why are you pulling me up on the things I do wrong? Yong's the one who called you lazy."
"You agreed."
"Ok, well- Yong never cleans up after himself." Nuru crossed her arms, turning her attention to Yong. The young boy didn't protest. He simply looked between the two,
"I'm sorry."
"Thank you." Nuru smiled.
"But I am twelve." Yong added, making Nuru sigh and Hugo roll his eyes.
"You wanna throw in that you're colourblind too?" Hugo asked.
"Yong, I was cleaning up after myself at twelve." Nuru told the young boy.
"Unlikely." Hugo smirked, "That's what servants are for, right?"