In this hope, he was not disappointed. After several minutes of parrying with the spiders and forcing them onwards, he led them to a long, wide stairway. They scurried up the steps stumbling over one another to get away from the fearsome spear tip, still held by the resolute but exhausted Astor, who almost wept at the sight just above them. At the top of the stairway was a shard of light, piercing through the shadows like some noble god reaching out to save the damned from the underworld. Astor was more than ready to see the surface again, but first, he had to drive the spiders out. He kept the spear aimed, but as the staircase was so wide, there was a chance, he could get flanked. One spider braved such a feat and got to Astor's right out of view of his spear, but he was too battle-hardened and clever for such an obvious rouse, and the spider got a fatal stab to its eye in retribution.