Dran replied quickly. Two ophidian heads lay snapping at the dirt, while their bodies still squatted on the pedestals. They did not bleed.
Evnos stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Dead men and women began to emerge from the tunnel, filling the cave again. He turned to them and shouted, “Go back! You’re free!”
But they did not turn back or make any response at all, instead milling about aimlessly, as the first group had. The Prince saw how foolish he had been. He wasted no more time. He pushed hard on the gate and swung it open.
The screaming struck him like a solid blow as he stood at the threshold of the Underearth. He reeled, almost losing his footing.
He stood atop a high ridge, looking down over dark valleys and naked hills. Here and there in the distance, great f
