My God. What did they do to you, Alastair? thought Constantine, whose face was pained and ashen, seeing the bruised and battered figure of Professor Croft. The professor sat tied to a chair in the centre of the large circular tent. His head was drooped downwards, looking at the floor. Constantine took off his invisibility cloak. He placed it back into his leather messenger bag before rushing over to the professor's side. Up close, Constantine could see that his former mentor had cut marks and burn marks all over his arms. He could only imagine the amount of pain and suffering the professor had to go through.

"Professor Croft, can you hear me?" whispered Constantine, kneeling next to the chair the professor was tied to.

The professor made a series of grunting noise before sluggishly trying to raise his head to look at Constantine.

"C-Constantine?" responded the professor weakly, his voice trembling. "I-Is it r-really you?"

Constantine nodded. "Yes, professor. It's me. And I'm here to rescue you."

Professor Croft sluggishly opened his eyes. Constantine could see the pain and fear in his gaze, but also hope. Constantine drew his wand from its shoulder holster and proceeded to cut the ropes which bound the professor to the chair with a severing spell. He then reached into his leather messenger bag and took out the round glass bottle which contained the healing potion Professor Mallard had given to him before he left.

"Drink this, professor. It'll help."

Constantine gently poured the red liquid into the professor's mouth. As the liquid flowed down the professor's throat, he coughed. But Constantine could see that it was worthwhile. The potion's effects were almost immediate. The professor's wounds were beginning to heal themselves, and colour was returning to the professor's previously pale face.

The professor sluggishly lifted his arm and placed it gently on Constantine's shoulder. "C-Constantine, you have to stop them from getting t-the amulet."

"Amulet? What amulet?" asked Constantine, confusion etched on his face.

Professor Croft took in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "T-The Amulet of T-Thoth. The a-amulet that will-" Professor Croft took in another deep breath before slowly releasing it like before. "R-Reveal the location of t-the Temple."

Constantine let out a sigh of relief. At least they haven't gotten their hands on the tome. Yet. There's still time.

"I-I tried to resist. I-I couldn't. I was not s-strong enough. I-I told them e-everything. "

"Where's this amulet located, professor?"

"I-In Alexandria." Professor Croft took in another deep breath before slowly releasing it. "T-The Grand Library of Alexandria."

"We have to get out of here and to Alexandria then."

Constantine gently placed a hand gently on Professor Croft's shoulder and closed his almond eyes.

Professor Croft sluggishly shook his head. "I-It's no use. T-There's an anti-blinking spell placed on the tent."

"Just as I expected," said Constantine. We'll have to go to plan B then. "Do you think you have enough strength to walk out of here, professor?"

"I-I think I might need s-some support. B-But how are we going to w-walk out of here undetected? P-People will surely see us trying to escape."

"That's where Haashid and Cara come in," revealed Constantine, smiling.

"C-Cara is here?"

Constantine could see that there was a twinkle of joy in the professor's eyes upon the mention of Cara.

"Yes, she's waiting anxiously with Haashid on a sand ridge overlooking the dig site," replied Constantine. "They're our ticket out of here."

"L-Let's get going. I-I don't want to s-spend another moment here."

Constantine nodded before he slowly and carefully helped his former mentor get to his feet before placing the professor's arm over his shoulder to give the professor more support as they slowly limped out of the tent. As soon as they exited the tent, Constantine lifted his finely crafted wand into the air. I hope Haashid and Cara are ready. Without saying a word, he fired a series of flares of varying colours out from the tip of his wand and up into the late evening sky. The flares climbed higher and higher up into the air before finally exploding one after the other, like beautiful New Years day fireworks. Now, all we have to do is wait.

Two flashes of light appeared before Constantine and Professor Croft as soon as the last of the flares exploded in the air. Standing in front of Constantine and the professor was a man and a woman dressed almost entirely in black. The man was tall and had a pallid, doughy face with tiny eyes. The woman, on the other hand, was short and stocky and had a fairly tall forehead. Both of their faces were expressionless, and both had their wands drawn.

"Who are you?" asked the man, his tone cold and professional.

Constantine remained silent, trying to think as to how he was going to get out of this predicament.

"It looks like he's not going to talk, Aiden," said the stocky woman. A small evil grin formed on the woman's face. "I say we torture him for the answer we seek."

The man named Aiden smirked. "Would you like to do the honours, sister?"

The evil grin on the stocky woman's face grew even wider. "Don't mind if I do."

The stocky woman raised her wand and twirled it, drawing a runic symbol. A red bolt of energy surged out from the tip of her wand and towards Constantine. Instinctively, Constantine lifted his wand in an upward motion before drawing a runic symbol, deflecting the curse aimed at him using a shield spell. Both Constantine and the stocky lady slashed and twirled their wands, drawing runic symbols in the air before firing bolts of magical energy back and forth at each other.

This isn't good, said Constantine to himself as he deflected yet another curse aimed at him. There's no way I can defeat her. She's just too skilled.

Constantine could see that there was a look of pure ecstasy on the stocky woman's face as she twirled, slashed and swiped her wand, firing more spells at him. She's enjoying this, thought Constantine as he struggled to deflect the hexes and curses being hurled at him. He could feel that any moment now, his defences would break and that'll be all over for him and the professor. I have to take it up a notch.

"Auferoarmia!" cried Constantine after tracing a runic symbol through the air. 

A white-blue bolt of energy surged out from the tip of Constantine's mahogany wand and flew towards his opponent.

Constantine watched in horror as his disarming spell was easily parried by the stocky woman's shield spell. The stocky woman grinned evilly as she began firing a number of spells back at Constantine. With much difficulty, Constantine deflected the volleys of spells aimed at him and the professor.

S-She's just been toying with me this entire time? said Constantine to himself as he continued to parry the barrage of spells being fired at him.

"Quit toying with him, Beatriz, and end this," said Aiden, his tone still cold but with a hint of annoyance in it.

"But this is so fun, brother," replied Beatriz with a sinister grin as she continued to duel on.

"Just. End. It."

Beatriz let out an annoyed grunt. "Fine."

As Constantine readied to defend himself, he saw something in the distance that brought a smile to his face. Haashid put the magic carpet into a steep dive, picking up speed, and as it neared them, he swerved it to the right. Constantine could see that Cara had her wand drawn and that she aiming it at the tall man and stocky woman. Two blue bolts of energy surged out of Cara's wand. The first bolt hit the tall man without him even realising it, sending him falling to the ground. The stocky lady deflected the spell aimed at her if only barely. However, doing so had left her back entirely exposed, allowing Constantine to fire a short burst of lightning at her, causing her entire body to spasm as the electricity flowed through her body before collapsing to the ground. That should keep her out cold for a few minutes. I hope.

Constantine let out a huge sigh of relief as he laid his eyes on his incapacitated opponent who lied face down in the sand. Haashid manoeuvred his magic carpet to land next to Constantine and Professor Croft, and as soon as the carpet landed, Cara leapt out of it.

"Papa!" cried Cara wrapping the professor with an enormous hug.

"C-Cara I thought I w-would never see you a-again," said the professor as he embraced his daughter.

"W-What did they do to you?" asked Cara, her face ashen, seeing the scars on her father's arms and the dried blood on his shirt.

"We can talk about this later," said Constantine. "Right now we have to get out of here before anyone else shows up."

"C-Constantine is right," agreed Professor Croft, nodding his head sluggishly. "W-We need to l-leave."

Cara nodded and proceeded to help Constantine walk her father over to Haashid's finely woven magic carpet. As soon as they had all got on board, Haashid took off, flying the magic carpet into the setting evening sun and to safety.