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Professor Jacobs led them into the forest.
Huge red trees and bushes dotted the pastured area of the island. The warmth of the sun filtered through the thick canopy of leaves. Professor Jacobs held Merlin's Amulet aloft. A magical string seemed to be pulling him forward through the jungle. He heard insects buzzing in the plants and bright birds chirping along the tree limbs. Professor Jacobs was thinking of a way to escape their predicament. Erlick was behind him, yet he couldn't talk to him. Della followed behind Erlick. Captain Jostler's sailors kept their guns pointed at them.
"How much longer?" Captain Jostler said.
"I'm not sure," he said. "This Amulet cannot speak to me, but I think we’re getting closer."
The ground started sloping upwards. The plants and bushes became more sparse. As if by magic, a small mountain suddenly appeared before them. The path kept moving upwards, until they encountered a rocky plateau that stopped beneath a tall cliff. Spread before them was a vast valley with trees dotting the landscape.
"We’re here," Professor Jacobs said.
"This cannot be," replied Captain Jostler. "The Amulet is not working. Where are the large crystals? Janelle, get over here."
The elf stood close to the Captain. She held up her hand and scanned the area. "Something is here. But I cannot find it. It is strong. The Amulet, we need it."
They looked at Jacobs.
The Professor knew if anybody tried to take the Amulet they could die. He held it out. "Go ahead. Take it."
"Don't touch it, Janelle,” the Captain barked. “The Professor is tricky. He knows if you touch it you would die."
Professor Jacobs said, "I don't know how this works."
"Don't lie to me, Professor."
"I'm not lying to you. I'm not a magic user. I teach Post-American History.
Janelle, get Della, now."
Janelle nodded to the sailors and Della was pushed forward.
"You need some encouragement, Professor. Janelle, you know what to do," Captain Jostler said.
Janelle held up both hands. A ball of fire materialized out of her palms and moved toward Della.
"Wait, you don't have to do that. Wait." Professor Jacobs tried to run toward Della but Janelle pointed at him and he couldn't move his legs.
He cried out. "Don't harm her. Stop."
"Professor, please try. I don't care that you are not a magic user, but the Amulet responds to you and you alone. You have to try," pleaded the Captain.
The ball of fire spread out into a stream of flames that surrounded Della. She was trying not to show her fear and horror, but her mouth started to tremble and the orange-red flames made her skin look like it was already burning.
Professor Jacobs held the Amulet upwards into the sky. He wanted to throw it off the cliff and watch it sail downwards into the valley below. "Lazarus,” he yelled, “if you hear me, help me!"
Nothing happened. He gripped the Amulet so hard a sharp pain hurt his hand.
"Hurry, Professor, Della is being burnt alive."
The Captain was right. Della’s mouth was set in a rictus of pain.
Professor Jacobs tried to move again, but his feet were rooted to the ground. Despair and fear overwhelmed him. It is not supposed to end like this, he thought. He was supposed to help destroy the Vvong.
Merlin's Amulet started to get warmer and then it scalded his hand. The Amulet flew from his hands and soared into the sky, then disappeared into the clouds. The Professor stared upwards and shook his head.
"Too bad, Professor. I thought something was going to happen, but you have run out of time. Now, Della will die from your failure."
"No, please, don't. I love her!" Professor Jacobs said.
Captain Jostler grinned. "Love? Love has nothing to do this. This is business." He paused, then said in a casual manner, "Janelle, kill Della."
The flame streams started to close in, and Della screamed. Suddenly, the flames ceased and then disappeared.
"What? Janelle, what is happening?" Captain Jostler said.
Janelle pointed her hands at Della and nothing happened. "Captain, something is blocking my spells. I don't understand."
Janelle started to look around the ground. She started to shake violently.
Captain Jostler looked alarmed. "What? What is it?"
Janelle was flung away, hitting the sailors holding the guns, knocking them to the ground.
Professor Jacobs saw Merlin's Amulet floating before him, turning over and over, like a coin spinning on a table. A whining noise started emitting from the Amulet.
The rocky plateau began to shake. Professor Jacobs lost his footing, and he fell, slamming the ground. Large holes and rifts split the plateau apart.
Della yelled. "Ruuuun!"
Professor Jacobs leapt up, and sprinted when a large fissure opened up next to him. Some of the sailors were not so lucky. Some of them didn't escape, and fell into the hole, screeching as they plummeted down the valley below.
He saw Della make it to the edge of the forest where the ground was safe.
Captain Jostler, Janelle, and several of the sailors also made it. Erlick was running next to him, moving through the ground and barely missing a large fissure. Professor Jacobs jumped and landed haphazardly on a grassy knoll, his breath knock out of him. He turned and saw Erlick coming approaching him and then he disappeared down a fissure. He heard a scream, cut off by a large splatting sound.
Then Professor Jacobs heard another sound, a kind of humming noise. From the ground, four large rounded crystals arose, moving in unison toward the sky. The crystals were as black as night, and the sun glinted off their surfaces. The large humming stones hovered before them.
Cracks started to form on the stones, chunks of crystal falling into the ravine below. Professor Jacobs saw the four Alphas floating inside the crystals. One of the Alphas was a large Grog creature. The Amulet disappeared and reappeared in his hand. Professor Jacobs noticed each of the Alphas was still asleep.
"Shoot at them. They are still asleep," demanded the Captain.
Professor Jacobs lay on the ground. Physically, he felt useless, but did the only thing he could do.
"Lazarus! Awake! You are in trouble."
Lazarus was in the middle of the group. His eyes opened, and for a brief second his eyes glowed with ethereal power, then changed back to his normal dark eyes.
Captain Jolson's men pointed their guns at the Alpha Mages and shot rounds of bullets at them. A staccato of bright gunfire surrounded the Alphas, but it didn't seem to harm them.
Lazarus looked at them for a brief second with feral, magical power. "Why are you trying to kill us? We do not know you."
Captain Jolson said, "The Vvong Queen said hello."
Janelle came forward. She was still alive, with just a cut on her forearm. She pointed her arm at Lazarus, and flames erupted from her fingers and shot at his crystal.
He looked at her and smiled. The protected stone that imprisoned them exploded in shards and struck the sailors, impaling them.
Lazarus floated in the air. He held up his arm. He scooped up the flames with his hands and created a large fireball. The Professor saw Lazarus merely nod his head, and the fireball flew back and struck Janelle. She shrieked in agony, and then stopped. All that was left of her was a burned out skeleton, still standing.
Captain Jostler wailed. He grabbed for a gun and pointed it at the blond woman on Lazarus’ left. It was Cindy. Before Captain Jostler could fire at Cindy, the pirate’s face imploded with horrific popping noise. The sailors that were left ran into the forest.
Lazarus turned to him. "Hello, Professor. It has been a long time. The magical nexus has just begun. I can open the gate to Middle Earth. Are you going with us to find Merlin?"
Lazarus said this to him as if they had seen each other a day ago, but in reality, the Alphas had been in the crystal prison for hundreds of years.
"Yes," Professor Jacobs said.
