In the next few moments the tranquillity of the dragon isle was temporarily lost as they quickly pulled down the sail and fended off the edge of the shelf with poles to stop the boat crashing into it. Althak was first off the boat. He jumped down to the rock shelf and Azkun threw him a line to make fast to a heavy boulder that lay near the edge. Another line secured the stern. The boat rocked up and down on the small swell but it was moored as well as it would have been in any Vorthenki port.
When Azkun jumped off the boat and landed for the first time on Kishalkuz he knelt and kissed the ground. As he rose there were tears in his eyes.
“Look, a cave,” said Althak.
“Not a cave,” said Shelim with a shudder in his voice. “A tunnel.”
Sure enough, at the base of the cliff, and hidden by a small outcrop of rock so that they had not seen it before, was a dark hole that looked like a cave. But a second glance showed that it was regularly shaped and faced with ancient blocks of stone.
“Of course,” said Azkun. “It is the way in.”
They picked their way across the rock shelf carefully, for it was slippery and covered with sea lichen. It was obviously sometimes covered by the high tide. When they reached the beach Shelim stopped them.
“Do you mean we're to go into the tunnel, M’Lord?”
“Of course.”
“I… I won’t go in there, that is, I can’t. I have to mind the boat. The tide might slip the moorings and-”
“You are afraid.”
“I can’t abide tunnels, M’Lord. The weight of the ground above me… It's not the dragons. But I can’t go in there.”
Azkun laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“The dragons will provide another way for you. That is not difficult for them. Meanwhile wait here for us. But do not worry about the boat. I doubt if we will wish to return to the lands of men. The dragons will not need to send us back, for they will defeat Gashan themselves.”
So they left Shelim behind as they crunched their way across the shelly beach to the mouth of the tunnel.
They entered not a little gingerly and made their way into the darkness with seashells still crunching under their feet and the mouth of the tunnel receding behind them. The sound of the waves on the beach became fainter and fainter.
“Azkun, we can't go further without light,” said Althak. “If this tunnel twists and turns we'll be lost.”
“But we have no lamps. This is the way the dragons have given us.” He stood silent for a moment. Surely the dragons would not leave them in darkness, not after having come so far. At that moment a dull flickering could be seen above them in the tunnel. They all looked up, Thalissa with a moan of wonder. A small, bright globe of light hovered and flickered near the roof directly over Azkun’s head, casting as much light as a lamp.
“Azkun,” gasped Thalissa, “did you do that?”
“No.” He smiled. “That is the power of the dragons. They watch over us.”
But she was not convinced. She had heard the tales of Azkun but she had never seen magic before with her own eyes. Her son had called a magic light out of the air.
They continued along the tunnel, the globe of light dancing lightly above Azkun’s head. They could see the stones were much less worn here, sheltered as they were from the sea and, before they had walked much further, the tunnel came to a halt. It ended in a stone wall and, carved on it in relief, was a large double-headed axe.
On their left was a shelf in the wall about waist height and wide steps led up to a dark opening.
“I know what this is!” shouted Althak, his voice echoing in the tunnel. “It's a wharf. This tunnel where we now stand was once filled with water up to the level of the shelf there. Boats were unloaded onto the shelf and traffic went up the steps. It must have been made to overcome the steepness of the cliffs.”
“But who would build such a thing on the dragon isle?” asked Thalissa.
“Perhaps the same folk who built the Gashan city,” said Althak, nodding towards the double axe symbol on the wall.
“That is of no account,” said Azkun, “we go up the steps.” He had expected to land on a heavenly isle where dragons pondered great thoughts all alone, yet the hand of man was clear here. Above him the globe of light danced and bobbed. It did not matter. The dragons were here, they were watching over him. Perhaps, long ago, they had had more traffic with men. Perhaps, before the corruption came.
They clambered onto the stone shelf and looked around. It was carved out of the solid rock and smoothed carefully. There was a pile of dust in one corner and a few scraps of metal scattered across the floor. That was all that remained of whatever had been left there. It had obviously not been used for a very long time.
Although the steps were wide enough to walk four abreast they went in single file, the women in the middle and Althak at the rear. Azkun had expected a short flight of steps and then a landing or passage, but the stairway climbed upwards into the darkness as far as he could see. Here and there the walls were decorated with strange designs of birds and beasts that seemed to writhe and intertwine they were so intricate. They too were reminders of the Gashan city. Azkun saw a bear-like creature staring at them from the stone and, once, he saw something that looked like the Duzral Eye carved on the wall, but it had many eyes staring from it instead of just one.
The air grew stale and musty as they climbed away from the entrance. It was dusty and still, the rush and gurgle of the surf grew fainter and fainter until it was merely an echo in their minds. The dust grew thicker and thicker on the stairs and cobwebs began to appear on the walls.
The climb went on and on and the dust and cobwebs and stale air grew thicker. At several points they found their way barred by spider webs stretched right across their path. Althak sliced them away with his sword, sending cascades of dust falling to the steps and clouds of it billowing into the air. Eyes streaming and noses running they hurried past.
Thalissa was worst affected. She coughed and spluttered as she climbed on and eventually asked if they could rest.
Azkun was not yet tired, but he could see that the end was nowhere in sight. They stopped, but the way upward held his gaze as they sat on the steps. Althak pulled a flask of water from his pack and passed it to Thalissa who drank gratefully.
“Forgive me but I'm old. My legs are no longer suited to such work.”
Althak laughed.
“I'm weary too. You've saved me some embarrassment by asking for a rest before my own legs dropped beneath me.”
In spite of concern for Thalissa, Azkun wanted to press on ahead. He was uncomfortable in this dusty passage and longed to meet his masters. The way went on as before. There were still cobwebs and strange designs on the walls. Still the globe of light hovered above them and still the endless stairs went on. They stopped again when next Thalissa grew tired and she and Althak ate some of their food. There they rested longer, for they were all growing weary of the climb. They spoke little. The echoes in the passage were unnerving and no one wished to stir them up. On the walls the strange designs and pictures were still visible and on some could be seen traces of paint that had long ago peeled away or faded.
When they had rested they climbed on. Gradually they noticed a subtle change in the air. It was still stuffy and dusty but just a little fresher than before. Another faint smell came, just on the edge of sense at first, but it grew stronger as they climbed. It was like green plants waving in a breeze far away.
Presently they came to a crack in the passage. It was as if one section of their tunnel had shifted sideways and down from the other, leaving a gaping hole to cross. It was only two paces wide but it disappeared into black gloom and, from far below, they thought they could hear the sound of the sea.