17. Descent into Darkness
With my heart nearly pounding out of my chest with anticipation and dread, we began our descent into the dark pit. One of the young men reminded me to stay close to the path by the wall and not wander too far out to the inner edge, because, as he said, “This is the famous bottomless pit—if you fall in you could be falling forever.” The men produced torches that blazed with a peculiar bright white flame to light the way ahead. They seemed friendly, like a band of brothers that had taken us under their wing. I assumed that their native language was different than mine, but somehow I understood them perfectly. I wondered if somehow Elatia’s words to me were also passing through an unseen translator.
The sides of the pit contained what appeared to be prison cells wi
