AN: Here it is, Chapter 8 of my story! I hope you like it! Also, keep in mind that I own no characters here except Diego, Orchid, Orion and Janus.

Chapter 8: The Bog of Lost Souls

After several days, Orion had found what he was looking for. With Janus' magic shielding him from the Keep's poisonous gasses, he walked over to the base of the Volcano, examining everything he could.

"Grimspire Keep, the place I was born." Janus said from the amulet. "And soon it will be the location of my rebirth as well."

"But how do we get in, my lord?" Orion asked, having scoured the base of the Keep and found nothing.

Janus did not reply. Instead, the amulet began to glow, shining a strange light on the Keep. Suddenly, part of the rock wall began to slowly slide away. After the dust had settled, an entrance stood out on the once completely sturdy Keep.

"Get in." Janus told Orchid.

Orchid, who had become haggard and worn from her experiences, stared defiantly at her captors. "No."

"Get in." Janus hissed venomously. "If you don't cooperate I'll make you wish that you had…"

"No." She repeated.

Orion went over to the girl and flung her over his shoulder. Her voice, however, stopped the big hunter in his tracks.

"Rayman is coming for me, Janus. He's coming and you can't stop him."

The air was still for a while after this threat. Suddenly, a peal of mocking laughter broke the silence.

"You foolish girl." Janus' voice mocked. "He is probably dead by now, so you can stop your foolish hopes. And besides, if he is alive he won't be able to stop my rebirth." At that, Orchid fell silent as she was carried into Grimspire Keep.

*******

What Rayman first saw of the Bog of Lost Souls sent a shiver down his spine. The Bog was a dark place that no sunlight was able to reach due to the thick canopy of trees. Large, gnarled cypress trees stood out defiantly in the brackish ooze that coated the floors of the Bog, and the occasional frog sat croaking and watching the friends with interest. Rayman swatted angrily at a mosquito before turning to his friends.

"Cheerful place." He muttered sarcastically. "So where do go from here, Diego?"

The Phantom frowned. "I'm not quite certain. We should go east to reach the Keep, but I don't know exactly where to go."

"Well, we'll just head due east then. Come on!" At that, Rayman walked forward until he came to the brackish water. "Ugh! This water doesn't look right."

Simon came over to where his friend stood and dropped a stick into the water. A strange burbling sound filled the air as the stick was buried under the water. "There's some kind of mud down there that acts a lot like quicksand. We have to find a way to get around that water."

"You're right." Rayman frowned. "Well, let's just travel on the solid ground until we reach the end of the Bog." The rest of the friends agreed, following Rayman as he walked through the damp earth of the Bog. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Does anyone else here something?" He asked.

"No. Why?" Diego replied.

"It's nothing, I guess." Rayman replied, frowning. "Well, let's move on."

They had walked a little further when Rayman stopped again.

"I definitely heard something that time." He insisted.

"Me too." Ly said.

"But what could it…" Rayman didn't have time to finish his sentence. Before his very eyes, ghostly creatures began to emerge from the ground. Most of the ghosts looked like pale Phantoms, while others looked like other creatures. They all, however, had pale, dead eyes. Before the friends knew what was happening, the ghosts had them surrounded.

"Join us…" They hissed. "Join ussssssssss…"

"Never!" Diego howled, charging through the ghosts. Suddenly, one of the wraiths reached out and touched Diego with one of its claws. The Phantom suddenly collapsed, shivering from the ghost's touch.

"So cold…" He moaned.

"Join us…" They hissed again, picking up the limp form of Diego. "Join ussssssssss…"

"Stay back!" Rayman yelled, brandishing his staff. "Stay back, all of you!" As the ghosts continued to advance, he yelled at them and began to store energy in his staff. Before the ghosts holding Diego could react, one of them was struck with a bolt of light. The spectral figure dissolved as the ghosts around him recoiled from the energy.

"Wait a minute…" Rayman said, shooting a bolt of light near the ghosts, causing every specter nearby to scatter. "Light! They can't stand light!"

At this news, Ly began to store up energy of her own, shooting bursts of energy at the ghosts with similar results. Simon had picked up some nearby tinder and, after some effort, set fire to it. Waving his makeshift torch, the old gypsy ran around, driving off every ghost he came near.

Suddenly, one of the wraiths had begun to drag Diego into the murky ooze. The ghost was instantly destroyed by one of Rayman's energy bolts. Using magic as he went to deter any ghosts, he grabbed Diego's limp form and pulled it out of the water. He then used his staff to produce a warming light on Diego. Finally, the Phantom began to stir.

"Thank you." He said in between coughing.

The tide had begun to turn towards the friends after this. The ghosts were finally driven away by the light that the friends used as weapons. Finally, they could all rest after their ordeals.

"Are you alright, Diego?" Rayman asked.

"I think so." The Phantom said hoarsely. "But when that thing touched me, I felt so cold. It felt like… like I was dying." He shivered after saying this.

"Well, you'll pull through now." Rayman replied. "Well, now I know what happened to those explorers. Those ghosts must have gotten to them."

"Hee hee hee! They got to everyone except me!" At that, a grizzled old Phantom walked out of the gloom. He carried a gnarled walking stick in one hand and a lantern in the other. By the crazed look in the Phantom's eyes, Rayman could tell that he was insane.

"You were… you were one of the explorers?" Diego asked incredulously. "I thought they all died except one."

"Oh, not me! I'm still as alive as you are!" The old man cackled. "Oh, they came for me alright. But I was too smart for em! I had my lantern out, and they couldn't get too me! Whenever it goes out, I relight it. And I keep relightin' and relightin' and they don't bother me no more!"

Rayman's brain suddenly formed an idea. "Excuse me, sir, but I have a question. Could you lead us to the Eastern edge of this Bog?"

"Hee hee!" He cackled. "Of course I can! I'll lead you out and away from them if you give me some food."

"It's a deal!" Rayman replied, shaking the Phantom's wrinkled hand. He then took out some food from his rations bag and placed it in his guide's hands.

"Food! Food!" He yelled joyously. "Now, if you want to leave the Bog, follow me!"