The full moon shone in the sky. The wind was cool against his skin. Even though they were tired and hungry they forged onward. He felt their quest was now at an end. On the way to their destination, Grace told Lazarus that after she saw him fall into the warehouse all the people who were turned to stone started to change. Except they didn't stay human, they morphed into hideous creatures. Luckily, Cindy and Matthew changed back to themselves.

Lazarus asked, "Cindy, Matthew, are you ok?"

The big man spoke first. "I don't remember anything after I was turned into a statue. I feel normal."

"So do I," Cindy said.

The winds buffeted them as they flew away from the city. They flew as fast as they could and suddenly they saw lights in the far distance. The lights were faint as if coming from a cave or somewhere underground.

Lazarus said, "We need to fly faster."

He sensed the closeness of their magic. He concentrated and let his magic overflow and envelop theirs. A commingling of all their powers made them stronger and more powerful.

Lazarus said, "Are you ready?"

They all nodded. He focused this newfound power and stretched it to encompass their flying. Suddenly, they shot forward faster than they had traveled before. Everything before them was a blur. Still, he knew they could go faster. He concentrated and focused his power with theirs. Another burst of speed shot them forward. They were quickly approaching their destination. He slowed their movement until they saw the tops of the hillside of Pyramid Peak.

He thought he would find a pyramid or even some type of natural formation but what he saw astounded him. It was a hilltop but it was open or merely burst out. It was as if a huge explosion from underground caused the earth to explode upwards creating a large crater, and inside this hole was the light. He also saw something else.

In front of the crater and in silhouette a mob of flying creatures waited. He stopped them. The full moon had enough light to discern the monsters. He saw large flying bats with big jutting teeth and below on the ground were thousands of Grog creatures of all types, from large canines wolves to gorilla like monsters, and in the midst of them was a creature he knew was the leader. The other creature he saw back at the Phoenix was not the leader but maybe a doppelgänger. He was not sure if this was correct, but he said, "We need to get to this pyramid."

Matthew said, "We will get there. I will make a path."

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"We will all do this together."

The leader of the Grogs walked out of the crowd and moved close to them. They didn't dare move closer. Lazarus and the others floated in the sky.

The creature from below said, "Alphas, you need to give me the keys and let me into the lost city. And I shall let you leave."

"No, and we don't have the keys."

"You have the keys. Give them to me."

Matthew said, "Come and try!"

Matthew started to move forward.

"Stop!" Lazarus said. He floated forward. "We will do this together."

Lazarus studied his friends. They all looked determined and ready. He turned to the large Grog on the ground.

"Come and get us!"

They moved as one toward the open crater. The flying bats attacked in a wave of fangs and long taloned wings.

"Wait until they get closer! Now!"

Lazarus held up his hands. Lighting sprouted from his fingertips. The noise of creatures screeching and the scent of burning flesh filled the air.

He said, "Matthew, I want you to shoot an arc of fire upwards and then downwards,when I tell you."

He stopped and let loose another barrage of lightning at the creatures. The spell moved in wicked trajectories, hitting into the first line of creatures. The sounds of screams filled the air. The charred smell of roasting meat was in his nostrils and he almost gagged.

He said, "Cindy, after Matthew is finishing with his spell, I want you and Grace to combine your spells to create a path into the caverns. Are you ready?"

They nodded.

"Follow me." He moved closer toward the entrance to the underground chamber. "Matthew, now!"

The big man moved next to him. A wave of blustering flame hit the large bats in an arc downwards hitting the Grogs on the ground. The flames dispersed leaving destruction and death in its wake. Cindy and Grace came forward. A large tsunami flew out of Cindy and hit the remaining large bats, creating a hole, and Grace placed her hands downwards and large fissures opened up in the ground, swallowing groups of Grogs.

"Follow me inside."

They darted into the cavern. He didn't realize there would be more Grogs waiting for them inside, standing along the structure. It was a pyramid embedded inside the chamber a hundred feet below, and the structure was glowing.

Lazarus said, "Cindy, clear the area."

They descended. Cindy unleashed a spell. A giant wave flowed down onto the glowing pyramid, washing away the Grogs waiting for them. After a few minutes, the structure was clear. They landed on the topmost area of the pyramid. His eyes were almost blinded by the light emitted from the very stones.

Grace said, "What do we do now?"

He was about to say something when he noticed all their stones glowed just as brightly as the pyramid. He said, "Take off your jewelry and give it to me."

Lazarus grabbed for his bracelet but noticed it was not on his wrist. Before them, floating in a bright brilliance, each of the items of jewelry spun next to each other.

Cindy said, "Look."

Each of the stones from the two rings, his bracelet and Cindy's necklace merged together and formed a round crystal. And behind the floating crystal was a doorway to another place, but it was dark and no light shone inside.

The growling noise of the Grogs was coming from the sides of the pyramid.

Cindy said, "We need to enter."

He hesitated for a second and then ran inside the portal.