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The next day, after Professor Jacobs and Della had eaten a small breakfast in their cramped room, they were summoned back to the bridge to go forth into the Bermuda Triangle.
Professor Jacobs and Della sat at the far corner behind the Captain's chair, watching on the front screen as the ship flew into the sky.
Janelle, the elf, was standing next to Captain Jostler, wearing dark leather and her black raven hair hanging loose.
Professor Jacobs couldn't see her face, only her back. She whispered to the Captain every few minutes, and the Captain would make a course correction.
On the front screen, Jacobs saw a dark sky with bright yellow and green forked lightning forking piercing the clouds and striking the ocean. He felt the power of the storm and the magic. It pulsed like a wind, undulating and flowing with the Earth and the moon. The ship moved slowly along the rolling storm. Fog suddenly shrouded their screen.
"Navigator, can you see through this muck?" Captain Jostler said.
"Aye, Captain. Nothing lies in front of us except the storm and the ocean."
Janelle whispered into the Captain's ear, and h e made another course change. They traveled like this for most of the morning, passing through the storm and barely dodging the lethal lightning. Rain splattered constantly against the screen.
The Professor turned to Della and whispered. "What type of Mage is Janelle?"
"We will speak about this later."
At midafternoon, the magical storm finally broke and they could see out in front clear skies and unbroken miles of ocean.
Captain Jostler addressed them. "Professor, we have reached the Bermuda Triangle. Please show us the way."
Erlick had arrived at the bridge an hour before, and he stood with him as the Professor moved forward. Jacobs touched the amulet on his chest. He hoped it would work.
He stood next to the Captain and took out Merlin's Amulet. It was warm to his touch and it started to pulsate. Captain Jostler eyed the amulet. Janelle's hand came forward and then down.
Magical powers started to coalesce amid waves of light. Professor Jacobs felt something, a tugging and pulling sensation. "Move forward and toward the right," he instructed.
The ship started moving in that direction. Dark rolling clouds enveloped the horizon and the ship moved toward them.
"We have another storm coming fast," said the Captain.
The professor didn't hesitate. "Keep moving forward into the storm."
Lightning flashed amongst the rolling clouds, creating bright swathes of light in his vision.
"Okayay," Captain Jostler said, "but Janelle here will help us navigate through the storm."
"Okayay, but keep moving forward."
The rolling clouds enveloped the ship, and Janelle spoke up. "Move quickly to the left, and then downwards."
A bright ray of lightning sizzled close to them, and thunder exploded in a deafening peal. The ship drifted back on course, as heavy raindrops obscured the screen.
"Clean the monitors," Captain Jostler ordered.
The front screens cleared, yet Professor Jacobs still only saw coiling fog and lightning strikes flashing in the mist.
The worst seemed over, until more thunder crashed.
"I could have muffled the noise, but I like to hear the storm," Captain Jostler said.
"It's fine," Professor Jacobs said.
He suddenly got an odd feeling. He wasn’t sure if it was coming from the Amulet or his own instincts. He felt sure Captain Jostler was hiding something. The professor suddenly saw a large creature before him that dwarfed the ship, and its glowing scarlet eyes bore into his. Then the image dispersed, and he was once again on the bridge of Captain Jostler's ship.
"Did you say something?" the Captain asked.
Professor Jacobs felt a tugging again. "Go , right now."
"Pilot, take us down."
"Sir," the pilot said, "there’s nothing there."
"Go down," Captain Jostler demanded.
The ship stopped, and then dropped. The cloud cover dispersed. The sun shone through.
"Captain," the pilot said, "there’s an island starboard side."
"Is that the place?" he asked Jacobs.
"Yes."
***
THE PILOT MANEUVERED the ship close to the shoreline.
The Amulet tugged stronger the closer it got to the island. Professor Jacobs spoke. "We have to travel through the forest. We cannot land close to the Alphas."
Captain Jostler parked the ship on the sandy beach close to a flat, grassy hill. They exited the ship and walked toward the forest. Erlick walked next to him, followed by several burly sailors. Della was also close by, but she seemed edgy and kept looking around. The other Illuminati soldiers didn't come out of the long hatchway.
Daniel was about to ask Erlick about the soldiers, when Erlick barked, "Where are my soldiers?"
"They're gone,” the Captain replied casually. “We dumped their bodies while we traveled here."
"What?"
Captain Jostler nodded to his men. More sailors came out of the hatchway and pointed their rifles at them.
In a smooth motion, Della kicked the nearest sailor and swept forward toward Captain Jostler. A magical blade sprang from her hands and she swept the weapon downward. But before she could hit Captain Jostler, the blade struck an invisible force field.
Captain Jostler laughed. "You forgot I have my Mage with me."
Janelle came forward, her hands gesturing toward Captain Jostler.
Erlick said, "Why did you do this? We paid and trusted you."
Professor Jacobs felt there was more to this. "The Vvong has contacted you. Whatever they promise you, you will never get it. You cannot believe their promises."
"Hah," Captain Jostler said. "You are the ones who are deceived. Janelle has been in contact with them for years. They want you to find Merlin."
"But why did you kill those soldiers?" Professor Jacobs asked.
"Because they will stand in our way. It is said the Alphas are imprisoned in large giant gems of untold power. I want that power. I don't care about the Vvong or the Alphas. I'm only looking out for my crew and myself." He paused for a few seconds. "Lead on, Professor."
