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Lazarus stood on shore watching Smaagol's boat sail away.
Shannol had given him directions how to get back to his home. Lazarus waved to Smaagol, and the small man waved back. He looked cheerful.
"Royce, see, nothing happened," said Lazarus.
Royce nodded but looked around the area as if somebody was going to attack them. "I smell something, but I'm not sure what."
Lazarus was instantly on guard, and magic sparks sprouted from his hands. He knew Royce had a great sense of smell and was wary for anything he sensed.
Shannol agreed. "I sense it too, but it's faint. There are orcs around here."
Lazarus scanned around the cove, looking into the cliffs. He couldn't see how an orc could get to this area without going by boat, flying, or coming from the Caves of the Dead.
"Nobody is here," Royce said.
"Yes, you're right," Lazarus agreed. Grace and Cindy moved closer to the doorway and inspected it. Lazarus was still wary, but Royce was right.
The sound of the roaring water filtered along the cove. He walked over and stood next to the women surveying the large doorway. It was more than three times his height and very wide. There was nothing written on the door’s surface.
Shannol said, "We are in the correct place."
Her boots crunched on the rocky ground. She stepped closer to the door and placed her hand along its dark brown surface.
A groaning voice suddenly echoed from the door. The sound was creepy yet also familiar. Lazarus recalled during Halloween, when he went Trick or Treating around his residence block, most of the homes had decorations and also scary sounds of moaning ghosts. This moaning sounded exactly the same.
"Stand back!" he said.
A large face exploded out of the door. "Who are you?"
The face loomed over them and hung like a vulture looking at a meal. Lazarus ran forward before the ghost could do anything. He took out the figurine of the Dark Knight and held it up to the looming face.
"My name is Lazarus Venti. My companions and I are Alpha Mages." He didn't want to confuse the ghost about Shannol.
The face looked down at him and then the others. "You have the Dark Knight's talisman. I will let you enter. Be warned, the ghosts in the tunnels will not attack you, but there are other things in the Caves that can cause you great harm."
The face disappeared. The large doorway swung outward toward them and they had to jump out of the way before the door struck. There were no sounds of creaking wood or zombies sliding toward them. The tunnel was dark. Lazarus placed the figurine in his pocket.
Several glowing orbs appeared around them. Walking inside, a blasting dark wind instantly rushed from the depths of the cavern. It smelled like sulfur and death. He was about to enter, but Shannol held out her hand. She slid her magical sword out of its scabbard and walked inside.
***
THE DOOR CLOSED AS soon as everybody had walked inside. Lazarus’s glowing orb lit the way and he heard somebody breathing heavily. He turned and saw Grace hyperventilating.
Cindy moved beside her and placed her arm around her. "Grace, what's wrong?"
"Sometimes I get a little claustrophobic in tight places," she said.
Lazarus was shocked. Despite everything they had gone through, Grace had never mentioned she was a scared of tight places.
"What can we do?" Royce said with a touch of concern.
"Just give me some time," Grace said. She sat on the ground.
Lazarus nodded and scanned around the cave.
Shannol stared at all of them and sat on the ground. "In my culture, some of the Elves have the same problem. They don't like to be in caves and tunnels. As a people, we only stay in the forests and valleys."
Lazarus said, "Can you help Grace?"
"Sometimes we have to go into caves to fight battles or root out insurgents. We have developed a spell."
Grace held up her hand. "No, I’ll be fine."
Her heavy breathing slowed and she was soon looking better. Grace slowly stood with Royce's help.
Suddenly a loud wailing noise cut through the caves, and then ceased.
"What is that?" she asked.
Lazarus knew. "A ghost. They will not harm us. We are protected."
Royce came closer to Grace. The Alpha Grog sniffed the air. "I don't smell anybody. Only," he paused, "sulfur and wet cave."
Grace moved away from Royce's touch. "Let's get moving."
Cindy placed her hand over her blond hair. "Are you sure?"
Lazarus knew Cindy was visibly scared at being in these caves.
"Yes," Grace said. Her small brown eyes looked very scared as well. Royce was the only person besides Shannol who didn't seem fearful. Lazarus didn't want to show that he was also frightened.
Shannol walked to the front, leading the way. She held a magical torch in her hands. The trappers gave her it, and Lazarus was surprised with their magical technology. The torch was not an actual flaming torch, but white glowing crystals perched on a small staff.
The walls were smooth, and small glinting patterns interlaced the surface. Lazarus almost reached out and touched the walls, but Shannol stopped him.
"Be careful, Master Lazarus. The walls could have ghosts hiding in them."
"I thought I saw something glinting."
Royce said, "I see them too. There are ghosts in the walls."
Lazarus stared at the walls and then he recognized a person floating. The specter didn't have any legs. The ghost didn't see them, but floated down the wall and then disappeared.
Lazarus wondered what would happen when the apparitions did finally notice them.
