Chapter Five

Phantom Zeig

When morning came, they all decided to take a small break. So they split up and did what ever. Vallen was catching up with his old friends. Lance and Alexis went to their room, (since there were two beds, they shared a room,) and changed into a swimming suit. Lance took the bathroom, so Alexis changed in the bedroom/living room. When Lance was ready, he walked into the room, and Alexis threw her towel at him. After that, the two of them went to the pool hand in hand, and since there was nobody else there, they swam by themselves. Once Lance jumped off the diving board for the umpteenth time, his shorts came loose, and fell down to his knees. Alexis, who was also in the water at the time, turned and burst out laughing. Then, Lance grabbed them, and pulled them back up. Hours flew by as minutes, and by the time they all met up again they went to bed.

The next day, they set off again to the Tiberoan Castle. When they arrived, they saw windows shattered, gate opened, and the place looked deserted. When they walked up to it, dark clouds came in. They entered anyways. Lance pulled out Scorcher, Alexis pulled out her Kashadou sword, Vallen, as always when on his horse, had his Power Spear equipped, Jack is a Sage, and would use any magic spell on an enemy, Cameron is a Sniper, and shoots arrows, and Candice is a journey girl, which uses hatchet axes. The inside had broken vases, half a couch, etc. The only light in the whole castle were lit candles. Then, a zombie wolf jumped out of the ground.

"Watch yourselves, that's a wolfos," Candice said, pointing at a zombie-looking wolf. "I'll hold it off, you all proceed."

"Okay," they all replied. It wasn't even two flights up where they were attacked by two stalfos, skeletons who attach with swords.

"Let us stay," Cameron said.

"It's up to you to keep moving," Jack said. Lance, Vallen, Alexis, and Lawson were left. So they entered the next corridor. Then, a monster appeared here too!

"White wolfos," Lawson yelled, pointing at the way more powerful wolfos . "Keep going, I'll handle things here."

"It's official," Alexis said, "I'm totally scared." In the next corridor…

"Oh crap," Lance whined, "a hellhound." The hellhound looks like a bloodhound.

"Move on, I'll take care of it," Vallen said. "Milord, take this letter." Lance obtained Vallen's Letter. It says, Lord Lance,

To unlock the power within your stone, you must gain the trust that it needs. To gain the trust, fight for it, and act like you're already using it.

Vallen

"Now move!"All who were left now was Lance and Alexis. They went further in, and to their surprise, no attacks for three more flights of stairs. When they reached the top, the Tiberoan King was sitting on top of his throne, with no guards…nothing but him and his throne.

"Welcome to my castle," the king said in a slow, cracking voice. "Sorry about the mess. I haven't been able to clean up for a while."

"Sir, you must escape," Lance said, advancing. "Monsters have taken over your castle." He then grabbed the black cloak covering the king, but to reveal Zeig!

"Well come on now," Zeig said with a dark smile as he rose. He was now floating in air. "Generous and kind? You're more pathetic then I had thought. Now, are you confident of your fighting skills…WITHOUT THE GIRL?"

"What do you –," Lance started. Suddenly, the ground shook, and a monstrous hand slammed up through the ground under Alexis's feet, grabbing her, and squeezing her. Her shirt tore when the claw scraped it, so her sleeves were falling off. She was screaming very loudly.

"Phantom Hand, finish them off!" Then Zeig disappeared in a puff of smoke. Lance raced towards the hand, and stabbed his lance deep within. The hand screamed as the scratch bled green blood. It dropped Alexis, who fell to the floor, unconscious. Then, it slashed her again, and she started to bleed badly. Then, it came after Lance. He ran to Alexis's side, avoiding the attack.

"Alexis, please don't die," he yelled as the hand came after him. Then, a green light shined from the corridor's entrance, and just when the hand was about to attack, a Detonating Arrow was shot at it. The arrow exploded on contact. Lance turned to see that it was only stunned. Then he turned and saw the true king, in dragon form, King Shawn.

"Use the Stone," he said. Then, Lance reached inside his pocket, and felt something warm. He pulled it out to find out that it was the Dragon Stone reacting to Shawn's. It glowed brighter, and brighter and when the light faded, he had on a red breast plate, two armored protectors on his arms and legs, stronger boots, the same pants, and Scorcher was two times as strong as before. He had wings on his back, learned Dragon Magic, and his stone, just like Shawn's, was in the middle of his chest. Then, the Phantom Hand got back up.

Lance's body went up in flames; he rose into the air. Then he held his lance close to himself; the head pointed towards the Phantom Hand. Lance then yelled "Skydive Scorcher!" He flew at tremendous speed towards the hand, and the Phantom Hand exploded, fell to the ground, and disappeared.

"Well, well, well," Shawn said, "feisty little guy, aren't you? Go and see if the girl is alive."

Lance flew over to her, but she was still unconscious. A few minutes later, she awoke in Lance's arms. She said, "Thank you," and was staring in Lance's emerald colored eyes. At that moment, they heard another explosion! Zeig appeared again!

With his bloodstained sword drawn out, and dripping, he said, "Well, very impressive. You're as hell bound as your friends." He grinned and laughed a dark laugh. "They are being overwhelmed as we speak."

"Zeig," Shawn said calmly, "why? What made you believe that Castle Serdio was evil?" Then, Zeig turned and when he and Shawn were in eye contact, Shawn noticed that Zeig's eyes were pure white, instead of the blue color that they normally are! "Watch yourself! The true phantom arrived, and it's Phantom Zeig!"

"Prepare yourself for total annihilation," Phantom yelled. Then Shawn shot another Detonating Arrow, but Zeig used a nonverbal force that shot the arrow back towards him. It exploded like before.

"Cough, cough I… can't… fight anymore…The fate of…lives rest in your… hands…" Then Shawn fell to the floor. He was himself again. Then Phantom blasted an orb of dark energy towards Lance. It missed him but hit Alexis!

"Ugh," she said as she jumped. Then, she vanished in Lances arms.

"What did you do to her," Lance yelled, getting up.

"I sent her to another dimension," Phantom yelled back. Then he shot another ball of energy, and Lance let Scorcher take the blow. Scorcher vanished also.

Meanwhile, the others were facing a horrid of revenants!

"Urgh," I hope Alexis and Lance are okay," Vallen said as another creature attacked.

"AAARRRGGG! I'm sorry, but I failed," Cameron yelled as she was finished off by a Hellhound. Then, Vallen whistled, and a Wyvern approached him.

"Snapper take Cameron to the Hotel," Vallen ordered. "Give this letter to the guards!" Snapper received Vallen's other letter. It says, Tiberoan Guards,

This girl is badly injured. I've sent my Wyvern with her. His name's Snapper. If you need to contact me, send a letter with him, and he will bring it to me.

From,

General Vallen

"Go, quickly now," Vallen ordered again. Snapper obeyed and left with Cameron on his back.

Back to where Lance and the Phantom are, Lance was shot backwards each time he tried Skydive Scorcher, with out Scorcher. Then, with one last fatal attempt, Lance slammed into Phantom using another new ability, Blazing Rage.

Wow, that's hot, Lance said to himself, looking at his burn markings. Phantom looked as though he was in pain too. He was holding his left arm. Then, Alexis appeared again, and she fell across the floor into the corner, where she lay unconscious. Now I know, Lance said to himself yet again, that if he feels pain when I feel pain, everything will come back from the realm that they entered! Then, Lance rose into the air, and Alexis awoke, turned and saw that Lance was dripping blood. He took aim, and the Phantom charged his final attack. Lance could feel the fire, which now engulfed him, burn through his armor. He was getting weak now that he was fully charged, but Phantom just stood there, charged and ready.

"Let's finish this," Lance said, with a weak voice.

"Ladies first," Phantom countered. Then, Lance swooped down and just as he was going to come in for impact, Phantom used the energy that he had stored, and planted it in Lance's face! Lance just barely hit Phantom when he fell! Then, Scorcher reappeared and fell right next to Lance, who also fell to the floor. He lay there lifelessly, as he defused from his stone. "Hopefully your life in hell is better than it is right now," Phantom said as he walked away. "Now that I have your stone, I'll be invincible! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Then he disappeared, leaving Lance, Alexis, and Shawn in the corridor.