Belvedor and the Four Corners (Belvedor Saga Book 1) (49 page)

The hallway cleared of any indication of death or despair, only images of an ideal, golden world filled their heads as they walked along in silence.

Moving further down the corridor, the light grew brighter, and the space grew colder. Lessa bundled Sano into her robes, and everyone began to tighten their cloaks and pull up their hoods. Even their breath became visible in the chilly air.

Soon, they stood at the end of the glass tunnel, realizing the source of the light.

“We made it,” said Arianna as tears sparkled in her eyes.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

The four gathered at the end of the tunnel, sucking at the fresh air. Mirrors of gold no longer stole their vision, and the dark engulfed them once more. They stood on a rocky platform covered in a light frost, and when Arianna turned around to have one last look at the gilt tunnel, she saw nothing but a stone wall. Her eyes traveled up the cliff, and her heart skipped a beat as she gazed upon the other side of the Blancoren Mountains.

The mountains rose tall above their heads in dark gray slants, beautiful she had to admit. Soft white peaks curved inwards away from them, and flimsy trees trickled up the sides. Shelves of rock covered in thick bushes with cherry-colored leaves, and enormous boulders surrounded them from every angle.

Arianna tilted her head towards the midnight sky, and the moon smiled down at her, accompanied by a billion twinkling stars. She couldn’t help but smile back as she grabbed for Lessa’s hand. Nobody could move nor speak. Never before had they seen such a clear night sky.

As they all reveled in the spectacular view, a light wind swirled the fallen leaves and caressed their faces in welcome. From the wide platform on which they stood, they saw everything. They could see the boundless landscape and a tiny town. Lanterns lined a single street, and lights flickered in windows.

At the foot of the mountain, feathery flowers spread out in a massive, silvery sea towards the edge of the town. Arianna had never seen any plant like this before, and her eyes gleamed as her mind tried to memorize every detail of the scenery. A winding stream created a barrier between the town and the field, and she could just make out a wooden bridge connecting the two. She could hear the stampede of horses as she watched a herd of black stallions led by a stunning white steed gallop across the field, and she even saw a frost-covered trail which led all the way to the edge of the mountain. Apart from the meadow and the city, nothing else could be seen for miles. 

Arianna let her gaze drop, and she noticed a trail of stone steps. From what she could tell they led right down through the mountainside from where they stood and coiled all the way to the bottom. She took a step forward, anxious to get on with her life. 

“When we reach the ground, consider your freedom earned,” she said.

“Stolen is more like it,” said Lessa, closing her eyes and savoring the moment.

Demetrius roared in infectious cheering, and everyone struggled to contain their happiness in the overwhelming bliss. Even Sano brightened as he popped his tiny head out of Lessa’s robes to breathe in the fresh air.

“Stolen freedom,” said Arianna, tasting the words. She nodded. “That sounds infinitely better.”

“We’ve got the world at our fingertips now,” said Jeom. “So, where to next?” He twisted his sparkling axe between his fingers as a Solomon-like grin grew on his face.

“Why don’t we start with getting away from this forsaken heap of rock?” Lessa began to move down the steps.

“Wait!” said Arianna, tugging at her robes. Lessa gave her a perplexed look. “You forgot something…”

Just as Lessa opened her mouth to protest, Arianna threw her arms out and her head back. “I’m free!” The feeling of ecstasy washed all around her, and her voice bounced around the walls of Blancoren, echoing with a boundless range into the open skyline. The group cheered, not hesitating in the slightest to join in on the fun.

One by one, with Arianna in the lead, they climbed down the steps. The further they went, the denser the undergrowth became. In the shade of the giant trees, the path grew very dark, and everyone kept their eyes on the ground, careful not to lose their footing on the steep trail.

“Ara…” said Lessa a while later. “What’s that in your hand?”

“Oh, I didn’t realize I was still holding the scroll. Here, maybe you should put it back in your bag so it doesn’t get ruined.” She handed the crumpled parchment back to Lessa as she continued forward.

“Hey, what’s the hold up?” called Jeom, bringing up the rear of the group.

Arianna turned to see Lessa had stalled on the path, her eyes now pinned to the parchment in hand. With the stairs being so narrow, the boys had to stop behind her as well. 

“What are you doing? Let’s go,” said Arianna.

Lessa said nothing, never stealing her eyes from the scroll.

“How can you even read right now?” said Arianna, stomping back up the steps. “It’s too dark, and I’m sure you know that scroll like the back of your hand by now. Is this really the time?” She rested her hands on her hips while she waited for some response.

Jeom and Demetrius peered over Lessa’s shoulder, reading the parchment as well, seeming to be just as captivated by the story. 

“You must come see this,” said Lessa. Her voice quivered as she ran her fingers through her hair.

When Arianna reached the step Lessa stood on, she saw her reasoning. She didn’t have to squint to read the glowing words, and she was awed at what she saw. At the bottom of the parchment, red lettering blazed in-between the lines of the calligraphy which detailed the downfall of the Olleb. It looked as if the dark had triggered some reaction from the ink and what stayed invisible by day burned a glowing red by night.

Arianna began to read out loud as her eyes scanned the words at Lessa’s shaking fingertips.

Light is light and dark is dark, but never shall they live apart. One shall seek what the other denies, and, if it is found, thus follows the demise. When one eclipses over the other, life shall end for he and his brother.

For a moment they all stood in silence, soaking it in until Demetrius broke the thick quiet. “It’s the Golden Rule?” he said in a hushed voice. The lettering of the paper still shined bright as he reread it again.

“It’s a prophecy,” said Lessa. Her mouth hung open on the last word as her master’s parting words flitted through her mind.

You will always find the answers if you only remember to have faith during the darkest of hours.

“It must be!” said Arianna. “But how is it suddenly written here? Why didn’t we see it before?” She shook her head of the bafflement. “And how… I mean, it’s got the same wording as the note from General Indra.” Looking to Lessa for the answers, she hoped she had another theory waiting.

Lessa only shrugged and reread the original script of the ancient scroll. “The last paragraph here says the prophecy was written by a seer enslaved by the King,” she said, tracing the lettering with her finger. “With her binding blood, the prophecy was written and was locked away in the darkest labyrinths of the castle to be seen only by the eyes of those it avowed. It is said that if the prophecy is fulfilled thus will follow the true death of the King and the freedom of Olleb-Yelfra.” Lessa finished reading, rolled the scroll up, and placed it in her bag.

The four continued down the stairs as they discussed the possible meanings of the hidden message.

“Well, it’s obvious who ‘dark’ is referring to,” said Arianna as she narrowed her eyes.

“Yes of course,” said Jeom. “But who is light?” The others met his query with silence.

“It’s all so cryptic,” said Arianna. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Talis Churry wrote it.”

“Who’s Talis?” asked Demetrius, observing a solemn Lessa.

“My trainer,” she said. Her shoulders slumped.

Arianna’s mind flooded with more depressing memories along the same line, but she tried to ignore them, thinking of all the good to be celebrated this day. She knew Solomon would be proud.

“I understand the ‘seek what has been denied’ part, but what about the ending? It doesn’t add up,” said Demetrius as he scratched at his stubble.

“I think it’s all a sense of balance… Light and dark, life and death,” said Lessa, musing through her thoughts.

“They cancel each other out,” said Arianna, twisting a strand of hair around her finger.

“So then what’s left?” asked Jeom.

“I suppose nothing…” she said.

“Or everything,” said Arianna.

“Do you think this could be about one of us?” said Demetrius.

Arianna just shrugged and Jeom looked at a loss.

“I suppose it could be about anybody,” said Lessa.

They walked in silence for the remainder of the way, pushing the discussion aside for later.

An hour passed, and they made it to the bottom of the mountain. No one looked back as they came towards the edge of the trail where a wooden sign posted with an arrow pointing towards the mountains. It read ‘Vanishing Tunnels’
,
so they steered clear of that path.

Instead, they chose to blaze their own way. They started towards the little town, traveling through the meadow. The flowers crunched under their heavy boots, and the cream-colored petals reached up past their knees as they waded through the field.

“I wish we would’ve taken the trail,” mumbled Demetrius who stepped with care, trying not to disturb the plants.

“I’ve never seen a flower like this before,” said Lessa, plucking one from the ground. She held it to her nose and sniffed, letting the pleasant aroma fill her nose.

“It’s a snowflower,” said Demetrius. “They only grow near the coldest places, but they still need a lot of sun. It was hard to get them to sprout in the Jar, but I had a few successful tries.” He smiled and large dimples formed on his cheeks as he brushed back his bangs.

Arianna stopped in her tracks, and the others stumbled around her. “Why don’t we rest here?” She stared up ahead and still couldn’t see the town. “It’s much further than I thought, and we need to revive ourselves before we start another adventure,” she said, yawning as she turned her robes inside out. She wanted the crimson on the outside so the white wouldn’t get anymore muddied.

“Good idea,” said Jeom as he plopped down, making a bed of the cottony flowers.

Demetrius did the same, wincing with every broken stem.

“We can make some sort of plan tomorrow,” suggested Lessa, following Arianna’s lead as she wrapped herself in a sapphire cocoon.

The four huddled close together, but the cool night didn’t bother them much as Jeom passed around a flask of whiskey he had taken from one of the slain regulators in the Creator’s District. They had spent far more brutal nights in the Jar and in the tunnels anyways. In fact, the cool wind seemed almost liberating in this instance.

Snowflowers rose high above their heads as their robes designed a mosaic ‘X’ in the middle of the meadow, replicating the flag Arianna had once stared upon so often in the Warrior’s District. As they stared with wide eyes at the star-filled sky, a comet painted a trail connecting the dots.

“Is it me or is the sky getting brighter?” Demetrius leaned up on his elbows, squinting into the distance.

Lessa followed suit while Arianna and Jeom lay relaxed with their heads resting on their arms. “You know?” said Lessa. “I think you’re right. It does seem to be getting brighter… Ara, do you see this?”

Arianna and Jeom gazed at the sky with lazy enthusiasm. Cocking their heads to the side, they realized the stars did seem to brighten, growing larger under the grinning moon.

“What is it?” said Jeom as he pulled his hood up.

“Those aren’t stars!” Arianna pushed up to her hands, and her head tilted all the way back. “Those are lanterns,” she said, reaching towards the sky. “It marks the end of the Free Falls Festivals. They’ll be letting the new citizens go soon…”

Their eyes glued to the sky as more and more lanterns became visible, high above their heads. They rose from far ahead and floated towards the heavens as orange flames flickered inside the large paper lamps. Thousands drifted along with the breeze, and it looked as if giant firebugs had escaped the caverns in celebration with the stars. The sight gave birth to a new kind of hope and warmth spread all around them.

Lessa began to sing a familiar song as the four watched the lanterns soar. Her voice sounded sweet and soft in their ears, tempting the others to join in. A moment passed, and their voices blended together in harmony, the melody floating all around and filling their heads with courage.

Watching as a black-winged dragonfly soared overhead, Arianna saw its turquoise body flashed bright against the nighttime backdrop as it battled to survive the winter. Arianna tried to keep her eyes open as their voices drifted away with the end of the song, but, after a while, sleep overcame her.

One by one, they drifted into dreams filled with starry skies and a world of endless possibility. For now, they were safe. For now, they were free, but stealing comes with consequence in any such place. Soon they would find that freedom meant very little in the dark world of Olleb-Yelfra. Slaves of the Four Corners were never really free… nobody was.