The first thing Emily discovered about the hill was that it was made of rocks. They were large and stable, but smooth, and the rain was making them slippery. Undaunted, she continued her ascent, wedging her fingers and shoes into cracks. The slope wasn't like a mountain, but it was steep enough, and it wasn't long before she was huffing from exertion. It had only been raining for a few minutes and already she was soaked through. But cold, wet and tired did nothing to deter her. She pressed on doggedly, ignoring her muscles' pleas for rest. Her shoe slipped and she fell chin-first into the rocks. Luckily, her tongue hadn't been lolling, or she might have lost it, and her teeth were still intact. She got up and kept going.

The storm was gaining momentum. It was starting to rain harder now, and the drops were getting bigger. They beat her mercilessly, pelting her face and stinging her eyes, turning her hair into red glue that stuck to face, and her clothes clung to her body like a second skin. She ignored it all, doggedly defying the elements that tried to stop her. She could see the top of the slope. Just a few more yards. She fed every bit of spare energy into her limbs, and a few minutes later cleared the top.

There was the arachnopod, its bulbous body standing on eight insectoid legs. Another figure, much like herself, was staring it down. Closer examination revealed it to be the elf boy who had chased her and her brother into the grotto. She only had just enough time to realize this before the stone clasped at his neck glowed and bright green energy lashed out at the arachnopod. The beast shrieked in surprise and pain as the energy sizzled over its body. The energy became brighter as more power was fed into it, and the creature's scream became less surprised and more pained.

Emily was filled with obscene pleasure as she saw the animal expand and heard its scream grow louder until finally it split lengthwise into two ragged, bloody halves, which were left where they fell and the energy wrapped around her mother. "Mom!" she cried. She looked at her mother, limp and helpless in the magic's grasp, then glared at the elf boy. "Let her go!" she demanded. The elf stared right back at her. "I said, let her go!"

The elf gave her a small smile, but it was a cold smile, and his face was hard. He released her mother, and in an instant ensnared Emily in his energy. Emily cried out and yelled in alarm as she was pulled toward the elf. She struggled to free herself, but muscle power had no chance against that of the arcane. "If you want the amulet," she said, her voice laden with disdain and fear, "just take it! But leave my mom and me alone!"

The elf's expression never changed, but he chuckled. "And what makes you believe I'm after the amulet?" His voice was unnaturally deep, sounding much more mature than it should have. He couldn't be much older than Emily, two or three years maybe, but he sounded twice that old. "It's not the stone I'm after; it's you." Emily began struggling again. "Without you, that stone is worthless to me."

"What could you possibly want with me?" Emily asked. "I don't even want to be here!"

"Of course not, but you are here, and for a purpose." At this, she looked at him. "You're the one who will kill my father, the Elf King."

"Whoever he is, I promise I'll leave him alone!"

"Leave him alone?" The elf laughed. "On the contrary, I want to help you destroy him. If we join forces, we can free this land from his iron grip, and you will finish what your great-grandfather started."

Emily gasped, more in fear of everything that was happening than from lack of air. "What are you talking about? This isn't my world; I don't want any part of it. Just let us go."

The elf sighed in frustration. "Stubborn as ever, you humans," he said. "Let me make the decision a little easier for you." An amoebic entity appeared beside her and she gasped. "Say hello to Sybrian." The entity, Sybrian, suddenly wrapped itself around her head and began to squeeze. She screamed in terror as another will began to creep into her mind and gently but firmly take over hers. "Just relax," the elf said. Her face began to turn blue. "Once he's inside your brain, you won't have to think anymore. No pain. No worries. No fears."

Fear. The words stirred something deep inside her. No more fear. Just focus. And focus, she did. All thoughts of failure, of losing the most integral part of herself to this thing wrapped around her head, were vanquished and replaced by a sudden determination to emerge from this battle victorious. She looked at the elf, and for the first time since seeing him saw curious concern in his eyes. That concern quickly spread to his facial muscles, then turned into fear as the power gathered around her, then finally to terror when that power rushed outward and completely obliterated Sybrian.

Now free of the encroaching will that threatened to subjugate her own, Emily turned all her fury and rage on the elf, who backed away with an expression of complete fear. She was held just above the ground in a sphere of bright red energy, her eyes sparking with anger at the one she interpreted as the enemy. Suddenly, rays of that energy shot out from the sphere, and the elf found himself flying backward before smashing into a rock with such force that, had he not been wearing armor, would have killed him.

Destroy him, Emily, the stone said. Make him pay.

The elf made a chocked noise as a tendril of energy wrapped around his throat. "No, stop!" he begged.

Destroy him before it's too late.

"Wait!" the elf pleaded. "You're making a mistake!"

He took your mother from you. Make him pay! The energy sphere around her exploded. The elf shielded his eyes with his hand from the intense light.

Emily was caught somewhere between a righteous desire for revenge and pitiful mercy. One part of her wanted to take the stone's advice and totally obliterate this gray-skinned, pointy-eared freak who had pursued her and her brother so relentlessly, but another part had recognized the hurt and loss buried deep inside his eyes. It was only a minute or so, but seemed like eternity, before pitiful mercy won out. No, she told the stone, putting her hands around it. The energy faded and she slowly lowered to the ground.

You're making a mistake, young master, the stone said, then went silent.

Emily looked at the elf again, who looked back at her with hopeful terror. "Run away," she told him. "And don't ever come near me or my family again. Understood?"

The elf nodded vigorously. "Yes!" And in an instant, he was on his feet and running away from her as fast as he could.

Emily watched him until he disappeared among the trees. She felt the amulet steadily power down, then looked over at her mother, lying motionless in the mud. She ran over to her. Remembering when an EMT had visited the school to give a seminar on first aid, she knelt beside her mother and pressed two fingers against her neck. There was a pulse, but it was weak. She knew she had to get her mom out of the rain, so she got herself under her mom's body and lifted it into a piggyback position. She hadn't gone ten steps before she heard Navin calling for her. She ran toward the voice as fast as she could with the dead weight on her back, and soon met up with him and Miskit.

They stood there, examining Karen's unmoving form, as the rain pelted them.