Belvedor and the Four Corners (Belvedor Saga Book 1) (34 page)

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 tried 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.

“So am I,” scoffed Jeom, folding his arms across his chest. “What a big waste of time,” he mumbled.

“Hey! You said you were going to be neutral,” said Lessa in a sweet voice, trying to use her charm to sway his beliefs.

“It won’t be that easy,” whispered Arianna. “Here, look. It’s a revealing spell I saw earlier. It can expose something that’s hidden by magic, but I’m not sure if it’ll work since we’re looking for an exit…” she said, uncertain.

“Yes, I think the parchment will know you’re cheating,” said Jeom.

Arianna narrowed an icy gaze over the scroll towards the snarky boy but said nothing to antagonize him more. She knew it would take time for him to trust, but now she realized why Solomon’s mind exploded not so long ago when she refused to believe the truth he knew so well.

“Do you want to have a go at this one, Les?” she said.

“I suppose.” She peered over Arianna’s shoulder at the instructions in the script. “Magic sure does come in all shapes and sizes, doesn’t it?”

The incantation didn’t call for a foreign tongue as the one before. Instead, the scroll instructed one must recite a short, rhythmic verse with a specific request to reveal what one searched for. The spell could work in many ways, depending on how the verse was put together and the person behind the words; or it may not even work at all. Regardless of the riddle-me-this directions, neither of them felt sure of the outcome.

“Okay, really concentrate on it,” said Arianna. “I don’t know if it’ll be too difficult or not.” Lessa nodded and closed her eyes as Sano stayed his ground on her shoulder.

“We cannot find what was never lost, so reveal to us the path to cross,” said Lessa in a shaky voice. She peeked open an eye but saw nothing happened. “Maybe I wasn’t specific enough?” She shrugged, looking to Arianna for answers.

“Or maybe you really just aren’t strong enough. I mean, when I did that little charm earlier, I felt weaker right away, and that’s probably because I’ve never actively used any magic before. Neither have you. Talis said it takes a lot of practice and energy. Here, let’s try this,” said Arianna, taking Lessa’s hands in hers.

“What are you doing?”

“Maybe we can do this one together? Solomon said the exercises I did in practice could also double as training for sorcery, and he’s an advocate for teamwork. Try completely clearing you mind and focus only on the spell. That’s what I did before a battle. I would only concentrate on my goal and then the adrenaline would flow all around me.”

“Truly?” said Jeom, crossing his arms. “This is completely ridiculous.”

Lessa and Arianna ignored his lack of faith and repeated the rhyme Lessa had fashioned, wanting to try anything rather than do nothing at all. This was a time for last resorts. Together they let the words fall from their lips as they concentrated on every one, “We cannot find what was never lost, so reveal to us the path to cross.”

As soon as the last word left their lips, they both felt a surge in the pit of their stomachs and a strong tug on their energy, but, when they opened their eyes, there was nothing to be seen. Nothing at all miraculous had happened.

“I guess it’s not going to work…” said Lessa, dropping her gaze to the floor. “I do feel a lot weaker though… Strange.” She rubbed at her dizzied head.

“Suppose not,” said Arianna. She scanned the scroll once more, hoping she missed some key element to the spell. “Okay, have at it now, Jeom,” she said without bothering to look up from the parchment.

When he didn’t reply, both girls glanced to find him in a state of shock. His mouth hung slack and his eyes wide as he tried to form words on his lips. “What’s happened?” said Lessa, running to him to check for some kind of illness.

They waited but still he said nothing. “Spit it out!” said Arianna. 

“It worked,” he breathed. “Look up.” He lifted his eyes and pointed to the high ceilings.

Both Arianna and Lessa raised their heads, and what they saw struck them mute as well. A green-dusted trail shimmered above them, trickling back down the long tunnel like a never-ending emerald python.

Jeom retold the events all in one breath. “After you said your strange, witchy spell, that light just spilled out of your hands and shot off down through the tunnels. Your eyes, they were glowing! It was astounding…” he said in a whisper, not really knowing how to react. He slumped against the wall of the cave and hugged his axe to his chest in a daze. “Just incredible…” He let a smile trace around his mouth as his boggled mind readjusted his opinions.

“Believe us now?” said Lessa with her hands on her hips.

“I’m finding it hard not to after that display, yes,” he said. “At the same time, I can’t find the imagination to believe in it at all.” He just shook his head in bewilderment.

“Well, come on!” said Arianna with an excited gleam in her eyes. “Who knows how long it’ll last.”

She grasped both their hands and pulled them back down the tunnel at a jogging pace. The emerald trail twisted and curved high above their heads, snaking in and out of the jagged ceilings of the tunnels. The three believers followed the light, testing many different directions along many different paths. As they moved further and further through the perplexing labyrinths of the mountains, the light grew stronger and thicker.

“I hope this is right,” said Lessa. “This deep in, we’ll never find our way out on our own.”

“Don’t worry,” said Arianna. “I have a good feeling about—”

“Did you hear that?” said Jeom, yanking the group to a stop.

“Not again…” said Lessa, stroking a sleeping Sano.

“I really think I heard voices this time. Listen.” Jeom put a finger to his lips.

Arianna listened to the still air of the caverns and the drone of the firebugs as they paused. Jeom was completely on edge and even Sano awakened, his bright eyes growing alert as he listened as well.

“What if it’s those ghosts seeking revenge?” said Jeom in a whisper. Lessa kicked him in the shin.

“They’re not haunted,” said Lessa and Arianna in chorus.

“You expect me to believe in magic when you can’t even appreciate a little ghost story? Let’s not be biased now.”

“For the last time, there are no such things as ghosts! The only ghost I know is Lessa, and she’s on our side,” said Arianna, pulling her cloak tight around her body as she glanced around.
Please don’t let it be ghosts.

Lessa tried changing the subject. “Well, I don’t hear anything. Let’s just keep mov—”

“Wait.” Arianna put a hand on Lessa’s arm. “Someone’s coming.” She was staring at Sano.

Lessa and Jeom stopped their bickering and followed her gaze towards the monkey. Their expressions fell too as they realized Arianna’s reasoning for her claim. Sano’s fur stood on edge, and he clung to Lessa’s robes as his eyes stayed fixed on the mouth of a dark tunnel where the enchanted trail did not enter.

Everyone tensed as fear settled over the group.

Always follow your instincts.

Arianna lifted her hand to draw a single sword from her back, but she froze as a hooded figure stepped forth from the shadows. The scene looked all too familiar and a distant image flickered before her mind.

“Arianna Belvedor,” said the man from the shadows. An accustomed shudder ran down her spine as she recognized the voice, such a horrible one.