Belvedor and the Four Corners (Belvedor Saga Book 1)

by Ashleigh Bello

  “Good idea,” said Lessa as she bent down to search her own victim.

  They searched only for a moment, collecting a few small weapons, a flask of whiskey, a pack for Jeom, and a much-needed lantern.

  “Okay, everybody ready? Our time’s up here,” said Arianna, tensing as she thought she heard voices growing closer from behind.

  Everyone nodded in agreement, and the three set off, back into the forbidding labyrinths of the Blancoren Mountains. No one hesitated except for Jeom Kane as a bad feeling settled in his gut. He remembered it well… how the Vanishing Tunnels earned its name.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  SPELLBOUND

  “We’ve been walking in circles for hours. How about a break?” asked Jeom on their second day of traversing the tunnels.

  Arianna nodded, and Lessa didn’t hesitate before plopping down on a large stone, exhausted.

  The three wandered through different tunnels all morning, making little progress, much like the day before. They had escaped the Creator’s District, snaking back and forth through different dead-end passageways which only led to more dead-end passageways, digging themselves deeper into a rut. The maze proved unbeatable without a map or a navigator, and they were lacking both.

  Unlike the ones before, Arianna noticed nothing miraculous or secret about these tunnels, and the russet-colored walls of the caverns started to make her nauseous. “Why don’t we rest up a bit and start again later,” she said, pulling some bread and water from her rucksack and passing them around.

  Sano leapt off of Lessa’s shoulder to pick at the bread in Jeom’s hand. He fed the monkey tidbits, intrigued and bewildered by its presence just as Arianna had once been.

  Suddenly, he jumped up from his seat to peer down the tunnel. “What was that?” he said.

  Sano squealed, his fur spiking up as he crawled back into the safety of Lessa’s arms. Arianna and Lessa watched him as he strained to see through the darkness layering the caves. His eyes could only stretch so far as the light of the lantern flickered, illuminating only a close proximity.

  “Thought I heard something. Maybe voices… or singing?” His voice trailed off as he listened to the hum of the caves.

  Arianna crossed her arms at her chest, annoyed at his edginess. It started to rub off on her, making her uneasy in such an unknown place.

  The three sat in a part of the tunnels which opened up a little, the stalactites dripping with water high above their heads as they ate in silence. A low humming noise buzzed throughout the cavern, joining their chatter—the cries of lonely, wandering firebugs who also lost their way. Arianna gave them a wistful look, wishing for the warmth of her utopia, but she guessed their welcoming light only proved sufficient when they fused together in a group.

  After Lessa finished her meal, she pointed out two more paths to choose from and started up her worried pacing. “I just don’t understand… I’ve been mapping these tunnels in detail, but it appears we’ve already been here. If my information is correct, which I’m sure it is, then there should be another passage just over there.” She scratched her head, pouring over her make-shift maps before throwing up her hands in defeat. “Unless the tunnels are changing, we got turned around somewhere.”

  Arianna contemplated this, gazing around for something familiar, which was, unfortunately, everything. She knew Lessa prided herself on being a stickler for details, and it didn’t seem likely she would make a mistake. Every time they had taken a new turn, Lessa took out a pen and marked their direction with care. Still, somehow they ended up as lost as ever.

  “They do call these the Vanishing Tunnels,” said Jeom with a mouthful as he tore into his bread.”

  “Oh, they do? I hadn’t heard,” said Lessa, pausing just long enough to flash him a mocking face.

  Jeom suddenly dropped his voice low and bore his eyes down on the girls, gaining their undivided attention. “I’ve heard rumors of slaves like us who tried to escape through these tunnels. Trying to navigate the labyrinths finally drove them mad, and they never made it out the other side,” he said in his most serious tone. “It’s said that they haunt these caverns in a jealous rage, ensuring that anybody who strays from the right path gets lost forever as well.” He licked his fingers, continuing on, “Why do you think nobody ever tries to run? Haven’t you heard this story? That’s why there are navigators or real maps which only the elders have access to… Otherwise the tunnels will swallow you whole.” Jeom’s mood seemed to dim as he thought about his own words.

  “He’s right,” said Lessa with a queer look in her eye. “That story is as old as the Four Corners itself. Talis told it to me once when I was younger because he used to threaten to throw me here when I misbehaved, and—“

  “—that must’ve been frequent,” scoffed Arianna.

  Lessa narrowed her eyes and Arianna laughed.

  “And I’ve even heard regulators whispering about the details,” she said. “I remember it a little differently though... Talis told of two lovers who ran away together, but in the darkness they were separated. They died alone but swore in death they would be reunited, so they haunt the caverns in search of each other, forever and always.” She looked thoughtful as she gazed off into the distance, twisting a strand of hair around her finger as she pictured that strong of a love.

  Arianna shook her head. “But these are just rumors… a ghost story. In my district we have a similar one, except it tells of two brothers who tried to escape on the one-year anniversary of the Four Corners. The darkness drove them apart, and they lost their faith in each other. They haunt the caves forever in order to keep the other from moving forward. The brothers seek revenge on each other because they both believe the other is the reason they failed to be free of the tunnels in the first place. True, it’s dreadful, but it’s only a story,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Hold on here,” said Lessa, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her fingers to her forehead. “I actually believe Jeom might be on to something.”

  “You don’t truly believe him, do you?” Arianna threw up her arms. “They’re just fables whipped up by the regulators to frighten slaves into not escaping, and they obviously work!” said Arianna as she watched them both trying to hide the onset of fear this conversation was causing. Magic she was learning to deal with, but vengeance-seeking ghosts gave her a whole new list of worries she didn’t feel like facing.

  Jeom wiggled his fingers in front of her face and let out a howl, daunting her as he registered her fear. She smacked away his hands, and he threw his head back in an eerie laughter that resonated throughout the caverns. The ominous shadows the lantern cast above their heads didn’t help to soothe her qualms much either.

  “No, not about that,” said Lessa, irritated by the two’s bickering.

  “Then what do you m—” said Jeom.

  “The tunnels must be changing!” she said, shaking Arianna by her shoulders. “What other explanation is there?” Lessa jumped up and down, ecstatic.

  “What do you mean to say?” asked Arianna, raising an eyebrow as her friend paced in front of her, ignoring Jeom’s incessant mumbling about the topic.

  Lessa calmed herself, attempting to explain her racing thoughts. “That’s why they are called the Vanishing Tunnels… because that’s what they are! Jay said it himself,” she said, waving a hand towards Jeom who looked confounded by her conclusion.

  “Hold on now,” said Jeom, eyeing the two as he lifted his hands to pause their conversation. “I only wanted to set the tone for my story. It was just a joke.” He shook his head, returning to his meal. “You girls are really in need of some fresh air.”

  Lessa and Arianna exchanged a cautious glance but said nothing, their minds expanding as they let the new, enchanted world have their attention.

  If Arianna really thought about it, after all that had happened and all she had done, vanishing tunnels didn’t seem that big of a stretch. It actually sounded possible that the tunnels somehow shifted or disappeared
entirely as Lessa believed. She recalled Talis describing magic as a force connecting all of nature. As much as she hated the Blancoren Mountains, she knew that everything about them, above and below, came to be by the creation of Nature herself.

  “Do you believe in magic?” blurted Arianna.

  Jeom nearly choked on his food, and Arianna looked anywhere but directly at him as Lessa just kept shaking her head no.

  After a while he said, “You’re taking this too far now.” He looked offended, demanding her gaze.

  She could tell he looked for the underlying joke of her question, but his eyes seemed reproving in their search.

  “I was frightened of the truth at first,” said Arianna in a hushed voice as she carefully calculated her next words. She looked to Lessa who fidgeted, frightened of Jeom’s reaction. “…but my mind was changed,” she finished.

  They could see the skepticism growing on his face as he gazed upon her, hoping for some sort of waver in her claim. He found nothing. “So what are you suggesting?” he asked, cracking his knuckles.

  Lessa kept her eyes on Sano, trying to compile the perfect explanation for Jeom.

  “We are suggesting what you already have,” said Arianna. “The tunnels are changing because of magic!” Arianna jumped up and threw her arms out wide as if to welcome him into the magical world.

  Lessa slapped a hand to her forehead. There was nothing she could do now. Their secret was out.

  Patience was really a virtue neither girl shared, but Lessa scoffed at her for telling him just how much they believed in magic with such little regard for his mentality. After all, it took two masters and a lot of near death experiences to finally persuade them.

  Arianna shrugged, turning to Lessa. “He was going to find out sooner or later,” she said, seating herself back down on the rock and resting her chin in her hands.

  Jeom’s back straightened as he let her words roll around in his mind. “You both are deranged!” he said after a moment, standing to his feet. “I was only fooling with you before. These tunnels are not changing because of magic. They aren’t changing at all! We don’t have time for this nonsense.” His voice boomed, filling the heavy silence.

  “Jeom… I think it’s time we came to know each other just a bit better. If after we’ve said what we must, then you can choose to continue or separate from us,” said Lessa in a gentle voice, trying to calm the storm building inside of their new travel companion. “But you must open your mind and listen to us first.”

  “Let’s hear it then,” he said. Taking a seat, he focused all of his efforts to try and keep his fire at bay, wondering all the while why the girls insisted on wasting their breath on such a fantastical lie.

  For quite some time, he only feigned listening as he studied the stalactites on the cavern ceilings and the wild curls on Arianna’s head, but, as the story played out, he found his attention being swayed. At first he fell to utter disbelief when Arianna and Lessa replayed the course of detailed events which led them to the Creator’s District. But after they showed him the scrolls and the fresh scars on their skin, his eyes widened in terror.

  He began to find their ridiculous claims hard to ignore. No one could, or would, put so much uncanny detail into a lie, he thought unwillingly. After the girls finished their attempt at gaining his trust, they gave him a moment to soak everything in, a moment to adjust.

  His voice cracked, “Now, I’m not going to deny your ludicrous claims because that was quite an entertaining story, but I’m not saying I believe you either.” Jeom put his head in his hands, closing his eyes. “Just think of me as impartial territory,” he said in a muffled voice

  “So will you stay?” said Lessa. She clasped her hands together, hope sparkling in her voice.

  “For now,” he said, “but I still think you girls are absolutely insane. Besides, it wouldn’t help any of us to separate before we’ve even seen daylight. We all have the same goal here, so we should try and stick together.” He flashed a nervous grin as he fiddled with his robes.

  “Wonderful!” said Arianna, happy to keep him around for a little longer. She enjoyed his humor and thought it would be a nice change to have someone else split the burden of all the craziness in their lives, even if he didn’t quite know, or even believe, what exactly he had signed up for yet.

  “On one condition,” added Jeom, pointing his index finger towards Lessa as she stroked Sano’s fur. Her eyes widened, and she puckered up her pink lips, waiting for him to state his demands. “How the Hell did you two find a monkey out here?” As soon as the question left Jeom’s mouth, he began to bellow in laughter at the absurdity of it all. The girls joined in as Sano stared wide-eyed and confused at his caretakers.

  “To make it simple, I believe he knocked me out of a tree and still feels bad for it. Isn’t that right, Sano?” Lessa cooed, patting him on the head as he nuzzled into her palm. “Take it or leave it,” she said.

  He considered her for a long moment. “Do I even have a choice?” he finally said, crossing his legs. “Now, to the matters at hand. Regardless if the Vanishing Tunnels are actually vanishing or not, what do you suppose we do? How can we possibly beat this maze?” He swiveled his head, observing the many different routes of travel.

  “We can figure this out together,” said Arianna, reassured by the unity of the group. “But, I think it best we keep moving.”

  Lessa and Jeom nodded as they packed their things. Soon they headed towards the next passageway, and everyone crossed their fingers behind their backs.

  “We surely haven’t been here before,” said Lessa, marking her map with the new tunnel.

  “It doesn’t even matter because it’s just another dead end,” said Arianna, angered as a large wall of the passageway materialized ahead, blocking their way forward. She kicked the barrier with her boot and tiny rocks dusted them overhead.

  As the earth rained down on their heads, it poured through the top of the lantern, and, in an instant, everything went dark.

  “I lied… we’re going to die in here,” she murmured as they all brushed the rubble from their hair, feeling around in the darkness for each other. Only the twinkle in their eyes vied with the thick blackness that engulfed them, and Sano’s glowed like twin moons in a clear sky. Jeom proved to be the most difficult to spot, blending in perfectly with the dark.

  “Oh, relax,” said Lessa. She felt Jeom begin to panic as he latched on to her. Arianna smiled as, even in the dark, she caught her rolling those big blue eyes. “We’re not going to die,” she said. “Now, does anyone know how to remake that fire?” The two met her question with a long, awkward silence, thickening the black oblivion which smothered them. “I suppose no then…”

  As they tried to feel their way back down the tunnel, the darkness seemed to slightly lift. “Is it just me or is it getting lighter in here?” asked Arianna, straining her eyes to see. As she tilted her head to the side, she could make out the shadowed expressions of her friends.

  “No, I think our eyes are just adjusting to the blindness,” said Lessa.

  Jeom started to speed up the sluggish pace, pulling Lessa and her along with him. “No, ladies, it would seem that we have some friends in high places,” he said, craning his head up towards the ceiling of the cave. His face split into a wide grin and his white teeth made him visible again.

  “Firebugs! Of course. We need to catch them!” said Arianna. She turned to Lessa. "You love to climb, right?”

  “Good idea,” said Lessa. She looked to Jeom. “Do you think you could hold me on your shoulders so I can reach up there?”

  “Surely, madam,” he said, bending down to his knees. “Climb on up.” She crossed her thin legs around his neck, and he shot back up to a standing position, swaying a little with the added weight and height.

  “Ara, will you please spot me in case this oaf drops me or falls?”

  “I would be nicer to me if I were you,” said Jeom, feigning to wobble back and forth.

  Arianna tri
ed to suppress her laughter. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch you,” she said.

  After half an hour, the dark grew lighter as the group paraded back and forth through the caves, chasing the lost, little firebugs and forcing them into the large glass-cage of the lantern. The firebugs moved slowly from their high perch, but, when they started to fly, all Hell broke out to catch them.

  By the time they rounded up about thirty, the lantern blazed bright, and the darkness fled without any hesitation. In fact, the fiery critters illuminated every inch of their passageway. Unlike before, with the dim light of the traditional flame, they could get a better look at their backdrop.

  The brown walls of the cave morphed into a luscious color, matching the milky brown of Arianna’s eyes. The stalactites hung like thousands of bronzed swords dangling from the ceiling of the cave, and the ground created an infinite maze of earth-crafted pillars connecting the top to the bottom.

  Arianna gaped at the refreshing transformation from the gloomy dark which seemed to placate the walls in the formerly dim light. Now, for the time being, she appreciated being a little lost, feeling a bit more hopeful with some change.

  “We’re just going about this wrong way,” she said, resting her hands at her hips. She hoped the right way would come to her as she stared, marveling at the rocky, russet ceiling.

  She pondered of nature’s part in creating such a magnificent landmark. Then, her wish came true as a burst of light illuminated the darkness of her mind’s eye.

  “I have an idea! Lessa could you hand me the charms scroll from earlier that helped unlock the door? I think I saw something there that might help. Our predicament is kind of in the same category, don’t you think?” she mused, excited over her blast of courage.

  “Fight magic with magic, brilliant!” said Lessa. “I’m still trying to get used to all of this.” She was glowing as she pulled out the scroll and handed it Arianna as if it were fragile glass.