Part 34 (1/2)

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 c.o.c.ks 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 s.h.i.+nes the orb's light down into the opening.

The stairs are made of stone and look to have weathered the pa.s.sage 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 pa.s.sage that looks to have once ran to the right and left. The left side pa.s.sage 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 pa.s.sage. 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 s.h.i.+nes 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 crawls.p.a.ce 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 beneath the desert.

As before, the stairs wind around until they come to the next level where they end. The hallway it opens out on is nearly blocked by the collapse of the ceiling. A section of the ceiling sits askew, one end braced against the floor and the other against the side of the hallway. Beneath is a small crawls.p.a.ce large enough for them to pa.s.s through.

”Stay here,” Jiron says as he gets down on his hands and knees. Having to practically sc.r.a.pe his stomach along the floor, he wriggles his way through.

James watches his feet disappear in the opening and then listens to him as he works his way through.

”I'm through,” Jiron's voice finally comes back to him. ”It's a crawl of about six feet before you clear the rubble.”

”Okay, I'm coming through,” announces James as he gets down and starts crawling through the opening. There isn't much room and he feels like his back is being sc.r.a.ped raw. The light from the orb Jiron's carrying reveals the other end of the blockage which gives him the impetus to continue. His wrist throbs from the struggle to crawl but he perseveres.

”It looks like this hallway continues further down,” Jiron states as James' head appears from out of the crawls.p.a.ce.

Making it through, he gets to his feet. ”You okay?” Jiron asks.

”Does it matter?” he asks as pain radiates across his back from where the stone sc.r.a.ped it. ”Lead on.”

Jiron glances at the way he's favoring his hand then turns to continue down the hallway. They don't travel far before an opening appears on their left. When they reach it they discover a small room. A quick survey reveals nothing and they continue on.

The hallway continues for several more yards before they reach the end. Here they find a gaping hole where the end of the hallway had once been. Letting the light of the orb s.h.i.+ne through, they see a drop of about fifteen feet.

What looks to be the side of another building rests against the one they are in no more than two feet above the jagged opening, creating an open s.p.a.ce below. A window lies directly before them in the other wall and is packed with dirt. Again, they wonder what happened here.

”After you,” Jiron says.

James again looks over the drop to the ground below. ”That's quite a ways,” he observes.

Jiron holds out his hand and says, ”Take my hand and I'll lower you over the side. That should leave only several feet for you to drop.”

Nodding, James gets down on the floor then turns and lowers his feet over the side. Before his stomach goes over the edge, he takes Jiron's hand in his good one and pushes himself over the edge.

His left hand isn't as strong as his right and continuously feels as if he's going to lose his grip. But Jiron maintains a firm grip as he lowers James down the side of the building. Once he's been lowered as far as Jiron can reach, Jiron says, ”I'm going to let go, brace yourself.”

James gives him a nod and then all of a sudden, Jiron lets go. He hits the uneven ground and stumbles slightly before regaining his balance. ”Made it,” he yells up to Jiron.

”Good,” comes the reply. ”Here, catch.” The orb sails through the air and James grabs it before it hits the ground.

Looking up, he watches as Jiron swings his legs over the edge and lowers himself as far as he can before letting go. Landing much more gracefully than James, he's soon standing next to him.

Increasing the luminosity of the orb, they see the area beneath the wall extends in both directions. The one to the right appears slightly less rubble filled than the other. Figuring one way is as good as another, they go in that direction.

The follow the gap provided by the leaning wall, every twenty feet or so another window appears in the wall above them. Every one is clogged with dirt and has a matching mound of dirt directly below it on the ground.

Thirsty, James takes out his water bottle and discovers that he only has half a bottle left. Taking a small sip, he returns the bottle to his belt. ”You have any water left?” he asks.