She stooped to pass through the breach in the wall, but Palemon struggled, cursing as he maneuvered his frame into the gap. Finally on the other side, he noticed that the air was stiller. The ground was dusty rather than covered in grit and sand. The floor was made of the same stone as the sloping tunnel, but it had better stood the weathering effects of time.

My people built this tower. Someone, perhaps even one of my ancestors, sealed off this corridor.

It became gradually darker as they followed the tunnel, which made it difficult to see what lay ahead. Walking beside the sorceress, Palemon peered into the shadows and realized that they were approaching a huge door that perfectly filled the stone corridor. It appeared to be made of metal, perhaps even gold, matching the frame. The door was ajar. Zara had already come this way.

As they reached the door, she noticed him examining the angular symbols that followed the frame’s perimeter. ‘The door was magically sealed, and it took some time to open it,’ she said. ‘I almost died when I stepped through; the air beyond hadn’t been renewed in eons.’ She smiled faintly. ‘Fortunately I became unconscious before I’d entered far. I woke a few hours later. No harm was done.’

Palemon shook his head, admiring the strength of the woman. No doubt she’d been here, on her own, and after collapsing, she’d simply woken up and carried on.

‘Coming, sire?’

The air was so still that he could hear his heart thudding slowly in his chest, beats sounding loud in his ears. What he’d seen so far was intriguing, but he knew Zara well enough to know that she was saving something for the end. Entering through the strange doorway, he sensed that he was now in a cavernous chamber, but the darkness was complete, and it was impossible to gauge its size. He took several long steps into the void, turning slowly, wondering if his eyes would ever adjust, trying to figure out what Zara had brought him here to see.

Then Zara lifted her sun staff, making a sharp sound. The hoop of gold at the top of her staff lit up, bathing the area in radiance.

The ceiling was high, and the underground chamber was even more immense than he’d imagined. Given the scale of the corridors and the golden door, the place was oversized, as if built for giants rather than humans. Turning to take it all in, the first thing he saw was that the floor, walls, and ceiling were all made of the same smooth, pale stone. He caught a glimpse of a series of barred iron cages along one side, each of an enormous size, but then Zara moved her staff, shifting the light to point out something on the opposite wall.