Chapter 6: The Catacombs

The cool air of the Catacombs was refreshing to the friends after the scorching heat of the desert. Descending from the steps, Rayman marveled at the craftsmanship of the Catacombs; the walls of the Catacombs were made of blue Limestone with bits of crystal sticking out and providing light for the friends to see. Diego sighed wistfully as he entered the Catacombs.

"Home sweet home." He said, wiping a tear from his eye. "So, Rayman, where is it that you want to go, again?"

"Grimspire Keep." He replied. "Can you take us there?"

Diego turned around. "I would seriously advise against going to the Keep. First of all, the Keep is the largest and most sporadic active volcano on this continent. Second of all, even if you managed to get near it, you'd most likely be struck dead by the poisonous gasses the volcano emits. And finally, the Keep is surrounded by an abysmal wasteland that no one has ever returned from. I know you have to rescue your friend, but that's just insanity!"

Rayman sighed. "Diego, there's another reason I'm going to the Keep." He then proceeded to tell his friend about Janus and the kidnapping of Orchid.

"So there you have it." He told Diego. "I don't just have to rescue her; I have to stop Janus from coming back into power."

Diego stared at him silently for a while. "Well, that's quite an interesting story." He said at last. "You do have the staff, and I saw it in action…"

"Diego, he's telling the truth." Simon said, cutting in. "I saw him do most of what he said with my own eyes."

"Alright, I'll believe you." The Phantom sighed. "Follow me; we're going to the Bog of Lost Souls."

Rayman felt a chill creep down his spine. "Bog of Lost Souls?"

Diego nodded; Rayman could see that he wasn't very comfortable about his decision. "It's the shortest, and most dangerous, way to the Keep. I don't think that either one of us wants to waste time, as unpleasant as the Bog is…" At that, he began walking forward in silence.

A while passed before Rayman decided to talk to his friend again. "How dangerous is the Bog?"

Diego turned towards Rayman. "A while ago, six of our explorers were sent into the Bog to see what was inside it and if it was suitable for colonization. After two weeks, one of them finally returned with one leg and eye missing, driven completely insane. It was a month before he could actually talk again, and even then he babbled madly about ghosts in the mist."

Rayman was shocked by this gruesome tale. "Well, we don't really have to go to the Bog if it's that dangerous. Are there any other tunnels that lead closer to the Keep?"

Diego shook his head. "None. The other tunnels would lead us to a two or three month walk, while the Bog can lead us there in about five days."

Rayman frowned. "I guess we have to go there, then. Where are we headed towards now?"

Diego didn't answer. Instead, he made a gesture to silence him as footsteps began to close in on their location. He then slunk off into a side tunnel, followed by the friends. From where he was hiding, Diego could see the outlines off two Phantoms walking through the corridor.

"That was close." Diego said. "If they saw us, they'd have killed us on sight. You all have a bounty on your head," he said, pointing at the friends, "but you'd die anyway for the crime of being outsiders. And I have a bounty on my head as well…"

"We'd better stay away from them in that case." Rayman replied. "But how do we do that?"

"Do you see where we are?" Diego asked. "We're in a Crystal Mine right now; most Phantoms don't bother coming here, so we should be relatively safe."

Rayman turned his head and his eyes went wide with shock. The walls of the Mine were lined with crystals, larger than those inside the main Catacombs, which bathed the area in pale blue light. There were also a select few pink crystals in between the blue ones that added a rosy touch to the assembly of lights.

"It's… it's so…"

"Beautiful!" Ly finished. "How did anyone make a place like this?"

Diego shrugged. "Half natural, half man-made. Our people are very fond of crystals, so we use these mines to harvest them. At any rate, a lot of people don't go down here, so we can get some sleep."

Rayman yawned. "Good idea. I'm tired from all the walking we've been doing today."

"I'll be the lookout," Diego said, "so you can take a quick rest." At that, the rest of the friends began to yawn and lie down. Diego sat down and began to watch for any intruders, but his eyelids began to feel heavy.

"I've got to stay awake…" He mumbled as the blue light became blurry. He finally yawned and surrendered himself to the slumber.

*******

The young Phantom looked over his shoulder before he began to walk again. He was remarkably pale for a Phantom, with strange blue eyes and a grim face. His brown hair was long and mottled, and the clothes he wore were covered in blood and sand.

He grimaced at the thought of all had left behind. His home, his family, and his very life; he had lost them all. The only things he had left were the clothes on his back, a rusty old knife, his carefully concealed gold bracelet… and revenge.

His eyes grew cold as he thought of the man who took it all away from him. One day he would return… one day he would make him repent for what he had done. But his primary goal was survival. He sighed, thinking of what he had to do to last beneath the harsh desert sun, but he knew he had no choice. Shedding one single tear for his father and the life he had known, he walked into the sands that whipped towards him in the search for survival.

*******

Diego woke up sweating. "The same dream." He muttered. Suddenly, he saw a group of Phantoms surrounding him and the friends. Rayman, grabbed by two Phantoms, was struggling in their grasp, as were Simon and Ly. As Diego began to rise, he felt a knife by his throat.

"Hello, stranger." A voice from behind him said. "Tell us who you are and why you are with outsiders or I'll use this knife."

Diego said nothing in reply. Instead, he raised his right arm to show them the bracelet he wore. "If you are working for the General, take me and leave my friends. I'll come quietly."

The silence in the Mine was so palpable that it became unnerving. Suddenly, an old, graying Phantom stepped forward and knelt down before Diego.

"My lord, I knew you would return someday."

The rest of the Phantoms began to kneel before him as Rayman watched in shock. "The prince has returned!"

Diego waved his arm to silence them. "Thank you for your reception, my friends. I must ask you one thing; is Tos'kio expecting anything?"

"No, my lord, he doesn't know if you are alive or dead." The old one replied. "What do you want us to do? We will die for you if you command it, my lord."

Diego smiled. "Hear me! Tomorrow I will march upon the city to face the General and make him pay for his crimes against our people! Who is with me?"

The air was full of cheering as the Phantoms vocalized their oaths of support. "Thank you." Diego smiled. "You may all rest now. It will be a long day tomorrow; you all need to be well rested."

As the Phantoms began to lie down, Rayman approached Diego. "Diego, if that's your real name, what's going on here?"

Diego sighed. "Rayman, I should have told you this sooner. Listen to me carefully; the story that you are about to hear is my own."