This is a sequel to The Foxes and the Ruins. If you haven't read that yet, I suggest that you do so.

  Arhalas arrived back at Sylnos and went straight to the commander. "I've found the location where the phantoms came from."

  "You did?" the commander replied. "Where are they?"

  "Since they came from the north, I decided to go in that direction," Arhalas explained. "I traveled on the north road for about a day and a half. From there, I was told to follow the river of Sylnos as it turns northeast. After about a half day's journey following it, the river empties into the ocean. I found some ancient ruins there, and the phantoms live in one of the largest of the buildings."

  "I see," said the commander. "How many phantoms did you discover there?"

  "I'm not really sure, since I couldn't see the inside of the whole building. But I would guess about as many as there were during the attack on the city."

  "Sounds like we'll need a lot of warriors then," the commander answered. "Some of them will be left to guard the city, but the rest will be able to come, I think. Will you be coming?"

  "Yes, and I was thinking I might ask my friend Trethan if he would be interested," said Arhalas.

  "Good. I guess I'll be off then," the commander replied. "I need to start getting my men and supplies ready."

  After their discussion, Arhalas immediately began searching for his friend. Trethan was a skilled archer, and Arhalas knew he would be a great help to have in the upcoming battle. Arhalas eventually found Trethan practicing his archery in a field outside the city.

  The two friends greeted each other and began to chat. It had been a while since they had last talked, so they spent a while catching up on what had been happening. Eventually Arhalas came around to the reason for his coming.

  "Remember when the phantoms attacked Sylnos?" Arhalas asked.

  "No, I was away on a journey," Trethan replied. "But people have been discussing it a lot, so I know the idea of what happened."

  "Well, I was able to take part in the battle. I can tell you about it sometime, but right now, I'd like to ask you something. I discovered the place where the phantoms probably came from, a ruin on the northern coast. There are still several phantoms there, so I asked the commander of the city guard, and he agreed to bring some soldiers to fight the phantoms. Would you be interested in joining us?"

  "Definitely. I'd love to be able to do some more adventuring, and then I'll be able to put my archery skills to use."

  The next day, everything was ready. The warriors had prepared food for the journey, weapons, and potions to use on any who might get injured. Arhalas, Trethan, and the commander and his soldiers set out for the ruins. The two days of travel passed uneventfully, and they finally arrived at their destination. When they came to the ruins, they began to stealthily scout out the area. By the time the day was over, the warriors had come up with a plan.

  The next morning, Trethan and some archers from the city guards crept up to the building were the phantoms were. They quietly approached some holes in the structure where windows had been when the building was new. Staying out of sight, they started firing arrows at the phantoms. The phantoms began to fly around in a panic, wondering what was happening. Soon, however, they realized that their attackers were hiding by the old windows.

  Then Arhalas, the commander, and the rest of the soldiers stealthily went up to a main entrance. When they got there, they started hacking at the phantoms from behind. The phantoms flew around in confusion, now that they were being attacked on both sides. Some flew at the archers, while others turned their attention to the new threat of the swords from behind.

  It eventually became apparent that the warriors had the upper hand. The numbers of phantoms slowly diminished, and finally the soldiers won the victory. The quest was accomplished. Some of the soldiers were injured, but the potions of healing and regeneration that were brought were enough to heal them. Arhalas and Trethan were grateful that they were able to take part in the adventure, and all of the warriors returned home. And the land was not bothered by phantom hordes for a long time to come.