Melcorka dashed down the stairs, with Bradan on her heels. Down and down they went, the steps descending deeper and deeper into a blackness that was tangible and a stench that grew thicker with every step.
"Where are we headed?" Bradan probed ahead of him with his staff. "There is no end to this."
"Wander down, Bradan the Wanderer," Melcorka said, with grim humour. She glanced over her shoulder. "The prisoners are about a hundred paces behind us. If you can see anywhere we can hide, tell me."
The staircase was only wide enough for two people side by side, with a hideous drop on the left into the unknown darkness. To their right was solid rock, smooth as glass and slimy with damp.
"We can"t stop or they will bump into us," Bradan said. "Let"s hope we reach somewhere soon."
"In here!" M
