Emily and Navin climbed a shallow incline, stepping over rocks and being careful they didn't fall and get hurt. It wasn't long before the heard the sound of moving air, like a breeze rustling the leaves of a tree. They reached the top and saw what they were looking for: A house on a column of stone, just as the amulet had said. "That must be the house," Navin stated.
Emily nodded in agreement. It was definitely the place they wanted to be, but there was a problem. The column of rock that the house rested on was in the middle of a grotto, and the only thing that even looked like a starting point was an old dock on the shore below them. They made their way to it and she knelt down, peering into the water. It lapped and plunked gently against the wood, and except for the tiny ripples arching away from the dock, the water was absolutely calm, like a dark mirror. She could see her reflection. "We'll have to cross," she said, already not liking the idea of swimming the distance. There could be anything in this lake. It could even be cold enough to cause hypothermia. But she didn't see any other alternative. "You ready to swim?" she asked. Navin didn't answer. "Navin?" She turned to see him looking out across the water and into the thick mist that shrouded it.
"Someone's coming," he said. Then she saw it.
A single point of pale yellow light was approaching them, slowly growing brighter and larger. Then they heard the sound of swishing water. A rowboat. A moment later, the form of the rower became visible. Whoever was in that boat was huge, with broad shoulders and wearing clothes that covered everything except their eyes, which appeared only as bright white circles, like goggles. They ran for the safety of the heights and watched as the person or whatever it was in the boat stepped onto the dock and tied the boat to it.
They the massive thing pulled some kind of ray gun out of its long trenchcoat. "What is that?" Navin wondered out loud.
Emily pointed a finger at him. "Hold still, and don't say a word."
The big human-looking thing scanned the rocks, and its gaze fell on where Navin was peering out of. Quickly, he ducked down. "I think he saw me," he whispered urgently.
"Run," Emily said, and they broke cover, not knowing they'd already been seen. Emily ran with Navin hot on her heels before com-ing to a stop in front of another humanoid figure. This one was lean and tall, with a head of the palest blond hair and wearing some kind of armor that had long strips of fabric snapping in the wind behind it. His gloved hands ended in wicked claws, his eyes were slitted with no iris and his ears were pointed like an elf's. At the center of his collar was a glowing stone, which began to grow brighter.
Emily became aware of the thing they'd seen at the dock standing behind them, his ray gun charged and crackling with energy. On instinct, she tackled her brother to the ground just before it discharged, firing a beam of sizzling red-white lightning over their heads. The bolt hit the elf square in his chest, sending him flying backward. The elf rolled several times before sliding to a stop at the bottom of the slope they'd just climbed moments before. The larger figure peered over the edge to survey its work, then turned to the two stunned children.
"You…you killed him!" Navin gasped.
The big cloaked figure shook its head. "No," it said in a voice too small for its size, "I only stunned him." It slapped its ray gun in its hand, and the thing hummed. "He'll get up soon, so we must hurry. To the boat. Quickly." They raced back down the slope, onto the dock and then jumped into the boat.
The elf boy's eyes snapped open and he leapt to his feet, furious, then charged down the slope after them.
The big human with the too-small voice was unwrapping the mooring rope when Navin pointed and shouted, "He's coming back!" They glanced back up the slope to see the young elf dashing toward them.
"Hold on tight," their rescuer told them.
"How can you possibly row fast enough to—" Emily began, but was cut off when a cry of surprise escaped her throat as the big man shoved off so quickly that she and Navin were almost thrown out.
Gripping the oars tight, the enormous guy—lady, thing, whatever it was!—dug them into the water and pulled. That was when they knew for sure that this hulking figure wasn't human, because the little boat jumped from the water. They hopped across the water like a skipping stone until the rower decided they were far enough from the dock to be safe.
Emily looked back and saw the elf boy standing on the dock, glaring after them. "What does he want from us?" she asked.
"The amulet," the cloaked figure answered simply. "Like many others, he seeks its power."
"Power?" Navin was confused. "But she found it in our great-grandpa's study. It's just a dusty necklace."
"No," the figure said. "Within the gem lies the power to command the elements. Such power is rare: Only a handful of these items exists, making them highly sought after and coveted by those who seek to master the world."
Emily suddenly looked at their rescuer with suspicion. "How do I know you're not after it too?"
Without breaking his stride, the figure said, "Because I'm helped get it to you. It's a gift from your great-grandfather, Silas Charnon. He has chosen you to inherit its power."
"And who are you?" Emily asked.
"His assistant."
"Then why do you hide yourself from us?"
"Not from you, from your enemies."
"But we have no enemies," Navin said.
"And what of the one who chased you?"
"Never mind about him," Emily interrupted. "Will Silas be able to help us get our mom back?"
The figure was silent for three strokes before answering, "You'll have the opportunity to ask him yourself. He's been waiting a long time to meet you." The boat scraped against the gravelly shore of the island a few minutes later, and the figure stepped out. "Watch your step," he said, tying it to a post.
Emily and Navin stepped out of the boat and followed the figure toward the house. As they ascended a flight of stairs, Emily looked up and saw a pair of glowing lights in the rooftop observatory, like eyes watching them. They followed the figure through a door and into the foyer of the house, which had some kind of tree with purplish bark and glowing bulbs on its branches.
"Welcome to Charnon House," the figure said as it unbuttoned its trenchcoat. The garment fell open, revealing the figure to be an enormous humanoid exosuit with a sort of cockpit in the center of the top of its chest. A much smaller figure was in the pilot's seat. It took off the hat to reveal a pair of pink rabbit ears. Now in the light, what they had assumed to be eyes before were revealed to actually be goggles. The little pink rabbit took off the maroon scarf around its neck, unclipped the belts holding in the seat, and jump down. It appeared to be like a plush toy: It was covered in downy fluff too soft to be real fur and had a patch on one ear.
Sticking out its hand, it said, "My name is Miskit."
Awkwardly, Emily shook it. "Um, hello." Navin looked up at the contraption in which Miskit had rescued them.
"It's an honor to meet you, Emily," she said. "Now please follow me. Everyone is waiting."
This surprised the girl. "Everyone?" she asked as she and Navin followed Miskit upstairs. "Who's everyone?"
They turned a corner and a robot with a protruding lower jaw spotted them. "Here they come, Ruby," it said. The little robot vacuum on the floor looked up and vroomed at them. Navin looked down at it and raised his eyebrows, more than a little weirded out. The robot in the doorway demanded, "You're kidding, right? They're just a couple of kids!"
Miskit's attitude toward the robot became stern. "Have some respect, Cogsley. Silas knows what he's doing."
"I hope you're right," Cogsley said.
Miskit led them on past. "Don't mind him," she said. "He's always like that." She turned into a room and they followed.
Inside was another robot fussing with the covers of a bed with an old man in it. The robot looked at them. "Oh, thank goodness you're here," it said, sounding like someone stressed out to the max.
"What's the matter?" Miskit asked.
The robot indicated the pulse monitor. "Take a look at his readings."
Miskit looked at the monitor, and worry entered her voice. "They're growing weaker."
The other robot nodded. "He even fainted earlier when I tried to feed him. If this keeps up—" It cut itself off as it spotted Emily and Navin. "Oh, these must be the children," it said, taking Emily's hand in a gentle grasp. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Morrie."
The girl introduced them. "I'm Emily, and this is my brother, Navin."
"A pleasure," Morrie said, extending Navin the same courtesy he'd shown to Emily.
Miskit looked at the old man in the bed. He lay with his head propped up on thick pillows, a brainwave sensor on his bald head and oxygen tubes in his nose. The oxygen pump next to the bed hissed softly as she said, "Sir? They're here. They made it."
The old man moaned weakly, almost too quiet to hear, then cracked an eye open. With as deep a breath as he could take, he woke fully, and turned his head to see two children talking with Morrie. He cleared his throat and their attention went to him. Emily gazed at him in wonder and worry, and just a little wariness. He could tell that she felt like she should know him, but didn't, and therefor was cautious. His old lips curled up in a smile, wrinkles deepening at the corners of his mouth. "You must be the one," he rasped, his voice old and rough. "I can see it in your eyes."
"You're Silas Charnon?" Emily asked.
Silas' face slackened a tiny bit, and he nodded once. "Yes, my dear. And you must be Miss Emily Hayes." His eyes went to the boy behind her. "And this must be Master Navin."
Though the old man couldn't pose a threat if he'd wanted to, Emily couldn't help feeling just a little wary. "How could you possibly know us?" she asked. "Or of us, even? All we know about you is that you disappeared after great-grandma Isabelle died and that people think your house is haunted."
"Did you build all this stuff?" Navin asked, eyes wide with wonder.
"Yes," Silas replied. "With the help of a few friends, of course."
"So you know why we're here," Emily said.
"Yes."
"Our mother is in danger. The amulet told us to find you, that you could help us." She looked more closely at him. "Can you help us?"
"My dear, you must understand that I already have." With obvious effort, he extricated his arm from the bed and his hand lit up with that familiar bright red light. The amulet around her neck came to life. "Let me tell you a little about your inheritance," he said. "The amulet contains a stone that can grant someone the power to rule the land of Alledia."
"Alledia?"
"It's where we are now," Silas explained, "an alternate Earth, if you will. In time, you will come to know the land and its people. You will see how beautiful it is."
"But what does any of this have to do with helping us?"
"That will become clearer as you realize the extent of the stone's abilities," he told her. "If you can master it, not only will you save your mother, but you'll gain great and glorious power beyond anything you've ever imagined." His face became sad. "It's something I failed to attain in my lifetime, but you…you can achieve it."
Emily's head spun as she tried to take all this in. "But I'm not interested in power," she said. "I just want to get my mom back and go home."
But Silas refused to give up. "But what if I told you that this power would allow you to turn back time? To make things the way they were?" He paused to let this sink in. "There must have been a time in your life when you were happier. It's hard for me to imagine that you were always this serious and determined. You can have what you're really looking for." He looked deep into her eyes. "And all you have to do it listen to the stone. It will help you attain the power to shape your world. I only wish I could be there to share it with you."
Suddenly, his breathing became shallower and more labored. "Emily, when I'm gone, you'll be left with the choice of either accepting the stone's power or rejecting it. Just remember that both have consequences."
Emily was overwhelmed. She didn't want power. She didn't want to rule a kingdom. She just wanted to get her mom back and get home. In a small voice, she asked, "But why me?"
"Because I know that you won't let me down." Silas looked at the little pink rabbit. "Miskit."
She stepped closer. "Yes sir."
"I've left all my thoughts and memories inside your data banks." Miskit jerked up straight in alarm. "It will be your job to teach Emily and lead her down the right path. You were my apprentice, and now Emily is yours."
"But sir," Miskit stammered, "I'm not ready."
Silas' face suddenly became hard. "You were made ready!" he growled. "This is what I built you for." His face softened again. "The moment I saw their faces, I knew everything would be all right." Miskit's lip trembled. "That's the feeling I've been waiting for my entire life. Take good care of them, Miskit. And good luck." Miskit gasped. "Time to rest." Silas' body relaxed, and the light left his eyes.
Instantly, Miskit was on top of him, screaming. "No! Sir! Wake up!" She grabbed the collar of his shirt and shook it. "You can't give up now! You can't just leave!"
"Miskit, stop," Morrie said quietly beside her.
She didn't hear him. "You can't just leave us with a couple of kids!"
Emily saw a tiny flick of power leave her amulet and dissipate. "Is…is he dead?" Navin asked.
"Silas…" Miskit's voice grew lower. "Don't leave us. Don't leave me."
A few seconds later, Emily and Navin heard soft whirring, then clicks. Miskit's eyes wide the color of her amulet's energy. Emily looked at her warily. "What? Why are you looking at me that way?" She suddenly became aware that every robot in the room was looking at her. Morrie's big binocular eyes turned the same color, and she heard the same whirring and clicking noises coming from him. Then it was over as quickly as it had begun.
"With Silas gone," Miskit said, "you're our only hope. Please don't turn away!"
Emily looked at her quizzically. "Turn away? What do you mean, turn away?"
Before Miskit could answer, a sizzling noise filled the room, and seconds later they were plunged into darkness. "Em?" Navin's voice was tight with fear. "Em?"
"I'm right here," she said.
"What's going on?" Navin asked.
"I don't know."
Suddenly, the amulet came to life. It's time to choose, it said. Take Silas' place as keeper of this stone, and you'll awaken a family that can help you recover your own. Emily turned around to see all the robots, Miskit included, slumped over and motionless. Just take the amulet in your hands and accept its power. She reached up to take in.
"Em, wait," Navin said. "Think about this. Strange power? An amulet with a mind of its own? I don't trust it."
Without this power, the amulet continued, as if Navin hadn't spoken at all, you can't attain what you desire.
"Em, don't do it." Navin was clearly worried.
Without the stone, everything around you will turn to dust. Emily looked at the robots. Embrace that power, and use it to save your family.
"Navin," she said, "we need their help."
"There must be another way! We can do this on our own."
He's right, the amulet said. There are other ways, but none so certain. And how can you rely on faith when time is running out?
"Navin, we're in a place we know nothing about. The thing that has Mom is something we've never seen before, let alone know how to handle it."
"And some kind of weird power is a better bet than good old wits?"
Emily froze. She knew he had a point, but also knew that this world would kill them long before they ever reached their mother without the help of this house's inhabitants. She looked down at the amulet. You know what you must do. She took the stone in her hands, and power erupted in a rush of moving air.
"Em, no!"
The hurricane ended as quickly as it began. The power dissipated, the lights turned on and the robots buzzed back to life. Welcome aboard, young master, the amulet said, coming to rest against her chest.
Miskit's excited voice jolted them. "Hey! We're active! We're still in business!"
"Oh, thank Silas," Morrie said, condensation dripping down his metallic head. "That was close."
Miskit looked at Silas, who was now still and quiet, and closed his eyes respectfully. "We'll take it from here, sir," she said, and snapped her fingers. A little door in the wall whipped open and Navin jumped as a small wastebin-shaped robot whirred past on a single wheel and stopped before Miskit, who said, "Theodore, put Silas in a sleep chamber and prepare him for transfer to Kanalis."
"Yes, ma'am," Theodore buzzed. The little robot sounded neither emotional nor distressed by the current events.
"We'll have to consult the main computer to find your mother," Miskit told Emily and Navin. "So please follow me."
Navin turned back to see Theodore pulling the blanket over Silas' head, then looked at his sister. "Em," he said worriedly, "I get the feeling you're getting us deeper into trouble."
Emily snapped. "Look, without Mom, I'm the one in charge, okay? I can handle this."
On a cliff overlooking the grotto, an elf looked down at the house that contained his quarry.