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True, there is the flight of stairs leading down further beneath the desert. But whether that will yield a way out is anyone’s guess.

Chapter Twenty Three

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An hour passes while James sleeps. Figuring they need to begin working their way out of this predicament, Jiron finally gets up and nudges him awake.

Snapping awake quickly, James is at first disoriented but then realizes where they are. He looks to Jiron and asks, “Are they still watching the way we came in?”

“Yes,” he says.

“And they haven’t made any move to follow after us?” he asks.

“Not so far,” Jiron replies.

“That’s not good,” mumbles James.

“Why?”

James cocks his head to the side and looks at Jiron for a moment before replying. “First ask yourself why would they pursue us all this way and then stop when they were so close to victory?”

Shrugging, Jiron says, “Maybe they feel we will have no choice but to come out the way we came in. Why would they risk it?”

“Think about it,” insists James. “They could easily enough collapse this whole area and squash us like bugs. Why haven’t they?”

Jiron starts to answer then stops. He remembers how readily James had been able to do similar feats in the past when the situation called for it. “I see what you mean,” he finally says.

“There has to be a reason that’s keeping them out and making them unwilling to destroy this place.”

“Maybe it’s holy?” he suggests. “Or taboo in some way?”

“Let’s hope that’s the reason,” says James.

“Right,” nods Jiron. “Could also be they’re afraid to disturb this place.”

“In which case, our being here is not a good thing,” states James.

“Then let’s get out,” Jiron says. “I found stairs further down the hallway that lead down.”

“Do they go anywhere?” asks James.

“Didn’t look,” he explains. “But there was no sand blocking them, so maybe.” Indicating the room they originally entered from he says, “It has to be better than going that way.”

“Let’s hope so,” says James. He then works to get to his feet, his injured wrist still throbbing.

Jiron takes the lead as they head down the hallway to the stairs. Once past the doorway choked with sand, James moves to the stairs and shines the orb’s light down into the opening.

The stairs are made of stone and look to have weathered the passage of time. Jiron notices his hesitation. “It’s the only way,” he says.

“I know,” replies James. It’s just that something about all this bothers him if for no other reason than the mages above have done nothing other than watch the opening since they came in here. Sighing, he says, “Lead on.”

Jiron moves to the top of the stairs and begins the descent into the darkness below. With James following several steps behind, he works his way around the winding stair until it opens up onto another passage that looks to have once ran to the right and left. The left side passage has collapsed leaving them the option of taking the right or continuing to descend further.

Glancing back to James, he receives a nod to the right. Leaving the stairs Jiron begins working his way along the passage. Motion from up ahead gives him a start until he realizes it’s only a scorpion scurrying across the floor. Taking a breath to calm his nerves, he continues on.

The doorways they come across are either collapsed or choked with sand. When they reach the end of the hallway, they discover the wall ahead broken. A jagged crack roughly two feet wide runs from the floor to the ceiling. Taking the orb, Jiron inspects the opening.

When the light shines through, it reveals a narrow open area. The area tapers to a small hole barely large enough for a man to crawl through. He moves aside and lets James look. “What do you think?” he asks. “Should we chance it?”

“I don’t know,” he says after looking at the small crawlspace they will have to go through. “I would hate to get trapped in something like that.”

“So would I,” agrees Jiron. “Better try the stairs.” With an agreeing nod from James, they return to the stairs leading further