The Sphere: The Phantom of the West Rim

  “Still the same Marius as I remembered.” said Scarlett.

  Then Scarlett attached the Sphere on her gauntlet. Doubt and refusal made her halted for a moment and when she used it she felt an evil will growing inside her, burdening her heart with cruelty and malice, and whispering her mind with many bad thought. But Scarlett was strong, both heart and mind, it didn’t harm or troubled her only stifling her a little. And suddenly everything turned colorless as if she looked into the world of emptiness. Then the earth like folded, plains, woods, marshes and walls had been pierced through by her in less than second until she found herself in some place. Dungeon it was looks like, many people lies there unmoving and lifeless in his eyes like they were statues. But there’s a one whom attract her attention as if she was the only living thing among them. She was familiar about her, and so was gray figure lays beside her. It was Eorin, and Aska was at her side.

  She tried to called her but the girl gave no answer instead Scarlett like saw something, no it was more like she was recalled a part of Eorin’s memories into her mind, about a woman. She like felt a good feeling of love and yearning about the woman like being in the garden of everlasting springs. But suddenly she feels hatred as if the girl shared her feeling about a man, tall stature he was but Scarlett couldn’t see his face, even so he looks familiar in her eyes. Then she felt the presence of another thing, faint it was and looks like a thin vapor around the girl but its grew stronger to shape itself as the girl’s hatred take over the realms.

  Scarlett dragged backward and suddenly he found herself hit Rey with her back. Fear and dismay still look on her eyes.

  “Looks like you have no idea how to use it.” said Marius.

  “At least I knew where the girl is, so was that old man held in another prison, and the winged beast lying on the wide plain, injured and weary.” said Scarlett, as she detached the Charon Sphere. “I’m glad you’re not lying about this Sphere.”

  “Glad?”

  “I’m glad that I don’t have to kill you for having this.” said Scarlett. “Better we go now and save them.”

  “You’re made the point.”

  “Wait how about those kids? Do we leave them alone here? You know this place was the crime scene of horror for them.”

  “You don’t have to worry about them. Let me stay here and incubated them.” said Morran. “Beside I have more things to do here. Rolling on the ground, eat more food and hugging a tree.”

  “Okay who is he? I don’t see him on your party before. And what he means with ‘incubate’ them?” asked Marius.

  “Just a little souvenir from our short adventure, and he's a bit ...” said Scarlett as she twirled her finger near the temple, “But he’s good. We can rely on him. And I think what he means about ‘incubate’ was to take care of them.”

  Marius then brought them to the stable. The horses neighed in fear when they got closer as if the horror doesn’t leave of the village.

  “Hey, just easy!” said Marius tried to calm them down.

  “Could you ride?” asked Scarlett to Rey.

  “I had once when I was kid.”

  “I think that's enough.”

  Three of them leaped to the horses. Marius riding his black stallion and Scarlett brought the brown horse, seemed it was the horse belongs to Eorin left in this village while Rey got a smaller horse.

  Before long they set off. At great pace they crossed the somber plains with the moons shining brightly as if gazed at them. Two riders seem fine on their horses while the younger one shaken on the saddle as if he was riding a bronco whereas the horse was tame, galloping lightly and following the horse in front of it.

  Chapter 22

  Into the Lair of Evil

  They had come to the feet of the stony hills and drew the reins to halt, but Rey pulled it too tight till the horse reared high and dropped him. Marius just glanced at him on his horse while Scarlett gives a hand to him.

  “First time, huh?” said Scarlett, she speaks coldly, suppose they weren’t in serious situation she must be laughing at him now.

  The moons went by into the west, but their distance seems getting away as if they took different path in the celestial. The sky was clear above them as the cloud was gathering in the distant north and the stars grew bright in the black dome. But the shadow grew bold before them and they stared it with frown, a marshes stretched in their silence and motionless like waiting peril. And there across in the distant, stood tall like a black mountain and darker than the western night, the old castle.

  “Is that the castle?” asked Scarlett.

  “Yes.” replied Marius. He keeps the reins and just standstill without any move.

  “Is there any reason why we just stand here and watched the castle?”

  “Zorom, a great terror beneath the rippling shadows. Unless you could teleported half mile in a single leap I suggest you shall not pass the marshes."

  “Zorom? What is it?” asked Rey.

  “A huge serpent, huge enough to swallowed us with our horse in one snap. And the worst thing is they are pretty fast, before quarter mile they might have us to be swallowed.” said Scarlett, “Any idea?”

  “Rode as fast as possible, if lucky enough just one of us will get eaten.”

  “That’s your idea?”

  “Not really, we just served one of our horses to the Zorom. In my reckoning we will had there before it finished the dinner.” said Marius. “Hey kid! Get off your horse, you rode with her.”

  Rey jumped down from the horse immediately. Pity and guilt fell upon him at the same time when looking at the horse.

  “Yeah and how your plans do that? The horse even more aware of danger beneath than us.” asked Scarlett

  Marius suddenly jumped down to approached riderless horse. He chattering and whistling to the horse while stroked it. None of them both knew what he doing now but then the horse bowed a head and looks very calm than before. A look of dismay was on Scarlett face when she looked that.

  “I'm sorry my friend. Once this is all done I promise will make a great tomb for you.” said Marius.

  Then without cue or command from him the horse ran away, hoof along the edge of the marshes till it become a little shadow running in the distance. Then the horse turned, set foot on the dark marshes as if doesn’t aware of what lies beneath it. Among gloomy silence there’s only splashing sounds of galloping horse in the distant.

  Suddenly, as the horse galloping over the marshes, a big splash came beneath the surface followed by the sounds of whining horse.

  “Now!” yelled Marius.

  They rode swiftly across the marshes. At quick pace Rey looked at the distant shadow, black and smooth it seemed in the moonlight, twisting on the black surface with its huge and long shape. He’s hold on tight on Scarlett and he shuddered as he looked at the black surface beneath as though that creature will sprang out of it to pounces them.

  They have passed the peril as they stepped at the edge of the knoll. The black mountain that looks small in the distance suddenly loomed up straight before them, grim and tall and less ruined by age. Three of them leaped from their horses. Scarlett looked up at the dull towering walls. It was somber and filled with the dry moss, and leaning on it was black leafless tree that slept during this season. She also oversees around but as far as her eyes could see there’s nothing there, neither movement nor sounds around them but the cold wind blows the weeds which withered upon the black knoll. Rey turned to look back into the marshes. The great serpent he seen no more and the marshes turned again into their grim silence as if waiting for new preys.

  “We divide our task. You two go and find your friends, possibly the other villagers also held with them.” said Marius, as he offered a Charon Sphere to Scarlett.

  “I don’t want to use that anymore and I don’t need to, I remember clearly where they are.” said Scarlett. “And what you gonna do?”

  “I have to make sure of something. See you later.”

&nb
sp; “C’mon Rey!” said Scarlett, they both ran away and at once vanished before the wall.

  “Good luck.” said Marius, as he looked at the old wall.

  ***

  Scarlett moved in flash beyond the stone walls and floors, bringing Rey with her. They’re down the winding hall and stairs, leaped in less second from one room to another. Moonlight flows through the windows and thrust the cracks to guide them in the darkness, but still they found nothing except old room and dimness. Instead, the further they get into, the more they felt trapped in.

  “Nothing happened so far and we found nothing.” said Rey.

  “Of course there’s nothing. Troubles always come out when we want to get out.”

  A bright light blinded their eyes suddenly as they both get into some place. For a moment they could not see anything but all white, too long they were in the dimness till the light blinds them.

  Faintly their eyes caught shade of black right before them. But then, as their sight had normal again to clearly seen what the black shape was, Scarlett immediately drew her sword and brandished it to hundreds … no, maybe a thousand and more of Phantom around them. But strange, after a moment there’s nothing happened, no attack or even moves came of them. Scarlett lowered her sword but she did not lessen her guard at all. With doubt and alert she drew near, and waved her hand in front of their face. Yet they don’t react at all, they just stood and facing forward in stillness as if they’re statue. Scarlett checked them quickly but carefully. She saw there’s a breathing hose at their mouth extends to the rear and when he followed it she found something like poles behind them. It held them in their armpit till they could stand upright.

  “What are they?” said Rey.

  “I do not know, I never seen them before thought few part of their style bit similar to Azgalor forces. And this chamber … it looks like newly built among the old walls and ruins before.” said Scarlett, looked at white vast chamber. “We’d better hasten to save your friend. I had feeling that they weren’t always in sleep like this.”

  Scarlett held him on his shoulder and in a flash the white chamber turned into an old corridor. To their surprise they found not only the dimness on that old corridor but also black shape stoop before them with yellow eyes stared at them. Rey gasped and a sudden fork of lightning sprang out of his hand, stroke the Phantom in the wild blue flash. Shortly the lightning faded away and in the dimness the Phantom fall before them.

  Scarlett bent down immediately checking the Phantom. He didn’t move at all but the yellow eyes behind the helmet open still.

  “Is he dead?”

  “None of your Sphere could take someone’s life. He just stunned, paralyzed if I could say.” said Scarlett. “Even though, it was very strange in common way. The Coral Imp granted us magic but just little lightning, it used to stun the enemies and thus give us pause to attack. But this one down only by one lightning of you, either you’re very great at magic or they’re too weak, while they had swept many villages before.”

  They continue their search, teleported from one chamber to another. But now the old castle has awakened, the shadow of castle wandering around along their way down, they had shape of human and bold than the dimness surround with yellow eyes turned on them, and sometimes a green flash shot from their hand. Both of them doubled their pace and alertness, either passed the enemies away and vanished, or took them down with a stroke of lightning.

  After many chamber and corridor they have passed, and the black guard they have brought down suddenly they halted in some old corridor. No enemies were sighted there, only ghastly voices from above echoed by old walls and stairs.

  “Wait here!” said Scarlett.

  Scarlett vanished before her eyes leaving him alone in that dimness. Long enough he waiting while the ghastly voices grow strong and he heard also a sound of footstep drew closer, but it sounds faintly as if whatever it was aware of him. Rey walked slowly to find out, but suddenly he startled by a hand on his shoulder.

  “Hey it’s me.” said Scarlett, suddenly behind him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, just my thought.” answered Rey. “Where are you from?”

  “Seek our friend. Beneath us was a dungeon, old but seemed just cleaned up. Everyone was there and they had sleep tight but I couldn’t find Aska and Eorin. Seemed the enemy has taken them away for a reason that we don’t know.” said Scarlett “Let’s go!”

  “Don’t we need to get them out first?”

  “Better if we let them stay below for a moment. If we get them out, most of them will get killed by the guard, even if they could get out from the castle alive they would be a snack for the snake outside.” said Scarlett. “The best thing we could do for know was call a backup and hope we don’t late this time.”

  “Late? What do you mean late?”

  “Below I just found a hundred people and more. Probably from the village we had just visited. But there's a few villages that had been attacked in the last month and many people had taken away before this, about a thousand and more in my count.” said Scarlett. “Wherever enemy brought them I don’t think it was a good thing.”

  “Did Aska and Eorin …?”

  “Relax. Most likely they still here, maybe just held in another part of this castle.” said Scarlett. “Damn, I should take that Sphere. Now we must find Marius.”

  “And face those black soldiers again?”

  Scarlett gave no answer, her eyes fixed on the darkness at the end of corridor. Unexpectedly she vanished before his eyes and at once there’s a sudden burst of lightning at the end of corridor. Next thing he saw, Scarlett it seemed, fell upon her knees and before her stood a tall figure.

  Rey ran immediately and stroke with the lightning. But the tall figure caught it with the bare hand and reflected it, and so the lightning strike back to its own source and stunned Rey. Both of them beaten in no time and now he saw a gleam of steel next to her neck till Scarlett’s face revealed.

  ***

  The sound of piano echoed in that dimness, listened with grief by somber walls and old pillars. The rhythm was sad and slow like played with deep sorrow but every press of the fingers were strong as if contain anger and vengeance.

  The fingers banged on the piano to a ‘ding’ echoed in the hall. And there, far behind him someone has stood in the wrecked entrance. He was a man, tall and wore a dark hood. As he walked he threw back his hood to his face revealed. He was looks like Iceberg but older, gaunt but looks manly as if he had passed many fierce battles. He had scar in his forehead, shaped like a jigsaw, the one he proud of, for the high general of Ishtar carved it on his face with ice magic.

  “Have something to report Blitzberg?”

  “Our scout reported that two airships are on the way here.” answered Blitzberg. He looks uncomfortable in that chamber. Indeed it was an old chamber, the air was humid and stuffy, but he felt there’s something in the air weakened him. And he senses something there, roost within the shadows with something like sail glimmering black in the moonlight which pierced broken windows, and huge eyes gleamed in the dimness gazed at him.

  “So they took our bait.” said the mysterious man. Then he throws a Sphere to Blitzberg. “Activate all of our forces. Make sure no one survive, both them and us.”

  “And how about the rats wandering in the castle?” asked Blitzberg.

  “They will come to us. I’ve talked to Marius and we make a deal, those kids for our design.”

  “That’s not Marius I knew, he far off to be called hero. Undoubtedly he will leave with our design and care not about them.” said Marius. “Let me deal with him while he still here and I will get our design back.”

  “I believed you and Marius are equal in battle but he was not alone. The boy I do not know but the red-haired one will give you more trouble than you could imagine. Besides, your battle will risk the design to damage, since you both use lightning in battle.” said the mysterious man.

  “I understand sir.”

/>   “The design was our primary concern. Trade and reclaim it. As for the other I don’t care, let them perish with the rest.”

  ***

  Scarlett trembled in pain. She tried to get away in flash but she could not, for the electrical shock disrupted her nerves and brain, disabling her to use any of her Spheres. Suddenly a shot of flame bolted toward the mysterious figure. At the same time Scarlett grabbed her sword and swung it. But the mysterious figure one step faster – swiftly he swung a sword to split the flame and at once cleave down to halt Scarlett’s blade. No pause between them, after flame Rey attacked the mysterious person with a fork of lightning once again and at the same time Scarlett sprang up and throw a punch. Both lightning and fist he caught them with the bare hand and quickly he took Scarlett closer and with the last light of blue sparks left on the hand his face was shown.

  “Hey it’s me!”

  “Marius?!” said Scarlett.

  “Thank you for recognizing me.”

  An orb of blue light kindled on her hand, beating the dimness in the corridor. Now Rey could see them both clearly. A foe in the dimness by the light turned into a friend he knew and he saw Scarlett took her sword. He ran to them immediately.

  “Looking you both still a couple, I believe you haven’t found your friend yet.”

  “You knew where they are?”

  “Yes. But there’s something I want to show you first.”

  Marius then brought them into a room located not far from there, about one level up and five steps from the stair. The room was quite small, about twelve meter per square, occupied only by pile of junk with dust and cobwebs. And there, one of the Phantoms lied still over the junks with the helmet off. Rey looked up and peered at the face hooded by the shadows. He was a man, maybe about fifty years old or more, nothing weird about him except he wore black vest.

  “Who is he?” asked Scarlett.

  “Our lost villager.” answered Marius.

  “What?” Scarlett looks surprised.

  “I’ve been checked him. With Charon Sphere that you cursed most I looked into his mind. Simple man, simple life, farm and forest most on his memories, never hold any weapons or used any Spheres. He also had zero experience on battle not even military training to be on that black vest and helmet.” said Marius. “The last thing he remembered was the Phantom attacked his village.”