Prologue
Jim Hawkins and his sister Jenny Plimpton stand in the Millennium Room, the cavern in Cody, Wyoming that contains the means to travel back in time. They’re there to go after their loved ones, who have been lost in the time stream back in Warriors of Cumorah. After enemies attacked them in their home in Utah, they decided they could no longer keep waiting; they have to go and find them themselves. Unsure of where they should go, and not knowing how to get there, they decide to rely on faith. Every time they’ve time-traveled, accidentally or otherwise, they’ve always ended up in a place where they were needed, and often where their loved ones were. The two hold hands, and touch the silver pillar in the room’s center, sending them careening through time and space.
The two suddenly arrive at a destination … only to find that they’ve materialized in the middle of a hill. The time stream has left them Buried Alive!
However, their fear only lasts a minute. Part of Jim’s arm is unburied, and the two are right next to a high-traffic road with passers-by that free them. Jenny unfortunately, suffocates, but Jim revives her with CPR in view of everyone. The two then get a look at their surroundings and realize they’re in ancient Judea.
—
Part One
Meanwhile, the party from Tower of Thunder - Harry and Steffanie Hawkins, Rebecca Plimpton, Mary Ben Symeon, and their ancient allies Gidgiddonihah, Micah, Jesse, and the newly joined Pagag, - arrive in fourth century Ancient America, where they’re told the rest of their loved ones will be found. Steffanie herself narrates this section. The group make their way out of a cave and establish a camp in the jungle, but when Steffanie and Pagag leave the group to gather supplies, they encounter a bandit (whom Pagag kills) and return to find the camp deserted.
—
Meanwhile, in the same time and country, Garth Plimpton and Marcos Sanchez have just been released from Nephite custody into the hands of their captain - a nineteen-year-old Joshua Plimpton, now known as Captain Josh. While Josh was captured between books, seven years passed in whatever time he was in. Garth weeps at what he’s lost, but also because he remembers a passage from the end of the Book of Mormon describing the destruction of the Nephite army, saying that all the captains, including a Captain Josh, were killed. If the Book of Mormon is true, then his son is predestined to die. However, Marcos talks him out of it, noting that the phrasing could just mean Josh disappeared, perhaps with them back to his own time.
—
Meanwhile, also in the same era and country, our final party - Megan Hawkins, Ryan Champion, Apollus Brutus Severillus, and their allies Moroni, Gilgal, Tzi’kin, Lamanai and Jacobah - are traveling to the Hill Cumorah. The large Lamanite people have been absorbed under the smaller Teotihuacano regime of Central America, led by the evil General Fireborn., Said regime is now gathering to destroy the Nephite people at the Hill. As heir to the original Lamanite dynasty, Lamanai can splinter the Teotihuacano regime if he comes forward. And he has agreed to make an alliance with the Nephites if they help him retake his throne. However, since he can only make an alliance with the Nephites’ head general and prophet Mormon in person, he must travel to the Hill before any of that can happen.
Moroni and Gilgal, native Nephites and generals in their army, are heading back there as well. Tzi’kin - who attempted to assassinate general Fireborn - is joining them because her homeland lies in the mountains they'll pass through on the way. And Megan, Ryan and Apollus are coming because a prophet is the best source of get-back-to-your-own-time advice, as well as wanting to make sure Moroni survives to deposit the Book of Mormon. Jacobah, meanwhile, is a Lamanite from Lamanai’s tribe, but has also informally dubbed himself Ryan’s bodyguard.
Megan and Apollus are now officially a couple. They argue often over social points (Apollus, for example, briefly thinks Megan is now his property), but the two kiss often and have a tight-knit relationship. Apollus has lost every other loved one in his life. Megan is the only one he has left. And while he is the best warrior in their group, she is the least. He is keenly aware of this, and fiercely protective of her in response.
While buying supplies, the group is ambushed by Fireborn soldiers. They flee on the river, but Ryan and Tzi’kin (who doesn't know how to swim) get thrown in the drink. However, Ryan is able to rescue her, and the two eventually make it downriver and find the others.
—
Part Two
Jim and Jenny are taken in by devout Hebrews, and find they are in roughly 33 AD! They also hear tales of an alleged Messiah, who goes by the Hebrew name Yeshua Ben Abbas, or as we'd say in English, Jesus, Son of the Father. Soon after, though, they’re virtually kidnapped and brought before this alleged Messiah, who turns out to be a conman and a robber looking to hijack the prophecy of Messiah to overthrow the Roman violently. In Aramaic, the other language of Judea, he also goes by Bar Abba. After word of Jim’s resuscitation of Jenny - misconstrued as a resurrection - Ben Abbas has decided Jim will be the Messiah’s proclaimer in the Jewish week of Passover tomorrow. And if Jim refuses, Jenny dies.
—
Pagag and Steffanie track the bandits who stole their friends. The two don’t get along, but have a thread of attraction. However, they come across a destroyed Lamanite village and encounter a group of children in a pit, presumably put their by their parents before the destruction began. They free the kids and provide for them, but this care slows them down considerably. However, this does improve their relationship somewhat.
—
Garth and Marco talk to Josh, but Josh reveals that he’s not interested in coming home. Just as when he was twelve, he’s determined to save the Nephites - his adopted people - and he’s not interested in what the scriptures have to say, about the future or his personal conduct. Garth warns him that You Can't Fight Fate, but Josh doesn't want to listen.
Garth and Marcos accompany Josh and his men as they travel to Cumorah, but find themselves ambushed. It’s revealed that Josh is the target of assassination within the Nephites, because besides Mormon, most of the leadership is hopelessly corrupt. Garth strongly suggests that they consult with Mormon personally when they arrive at the Hill, and Josh reluctantly agrees.
—
Meanwhile, Team Lamanai arrive at Tzi’kin’s home village of Lacandon. Things are kind of tense. Lamanai has been irritated for a while that he’s not being worshipped as a king how he’d like, and the river chase has showed him just how slim their odds are. In addition, he still insists on addressing Megan, Ryan, and Apollus as divine beings, even though they’ve made it clear they aren’t.
Ryan and Tzi’kin, however, have become good friends, with the potential for something more. Ryan's even been teaching her the LDS gospel. But when they arrive at her village, things take a turn for the serious. Tzi'kin's father Chief K’ayyum is gravely disappointed in her for failing her assassination mission. We learn that her mother was killed by Fireborn when his army passed through this region, and her failing to avenge her is a particular slight on them.
The team dine with K’a’yyum and his family (except for Moroni and Gilgal, who as Nephites are not welcome). But they suddenly find the food poisoned, all of them passing out! Apollus holds out the longest, picking up Megan and trying to fight his way out. But before he loses consciousness, he sees that despite hunger, Lamanai never ate from his dish. He was forewarned.
—
With no other choice, the next day Jim - now being dubbed James to sound more Hebrew - proceeds into Jerusalem with Ben Abbas and his men behind him, proclaiming Ben Abbas's divinity. The group stoke the populace into a frenzy, about to incite a riot against the Romans to overthrow Jerusalem. A riot James knows will not succeed. But at the very height of the frenzy he realizes why. Ben Abbas, Bar Abba, Barabas. This is the alleged thief set for crucifixion who was released in Jesus’s place. And at this moment, the Roman anti-riot forces arrive, and in the chaos, Jim and Jenny are able to make their escape.
—
Pagag and Steffanie, still traveling with the Lamanite children, are found by a Lamanite army. They turn out to be tracking the same group of bandits that took their friends, and out of gratitude for them saving the children, they allow them to join them in their pursuit.
—
But meanwhile, things have gotten bad for the Moroni group. Ryan is awoken and told he’s going to be thrown in Tzi’kin’s father’s snake pit filled with highly poisonous cottonmouths. If he’s a god, as Lamanai has proclaimed, then he will survive. Ryan is thrown in, and soon his loyal bodyguard Jacobah foolishly jumps in after him. But through a mix of miracles, smarts, and guts, they’re able to survive, and even find an exit tunnel the snakes use to access water. They find Moroni and Gilgal, who fled when they sensed something was wrong. They also find Tzi’kin, who was not aware of what was going to happen and has switched sides. She apologizes profusely, and reveals that in truth, Fireborn didn’t kill her mother. Fireborn “defiled” her mother, but it was her father who killed her after she’d been rendered “impure.” Ryan is as shocked and disgusted as anyone.
But Tzi’kin reveals something even worse than all this. Apollus is renowned as a warrior. And her village of Lacandon has a traditional duel coming up in three days, where one warrior from their village fights one from the neighboring village of Chamula in the garb of their gods, as a substitute for all-out war and an honoring of said gods. So Apollus is going to be their pick. And according to tradition, in order to "motivate" him, the opposing champion is going to kill Megan before said duel.
While devastated, Ryan rules that they don’t know she’s dead yet, and they set out on the river for the ancient ruin where the duel will be happening.
—
Meanwhile, Pagag, Steffanie, and the accompanying Lamanite army finally find the bandits and rush them. They successfully find every member of the group except for three - Gidgiddonihah, Harry, and Mary. Micah reveals that Gid killed several bandits during their capture, and the bandits sold the three of them to a village they passed by, which said they were going to need a warrior for a competition very soon. What was the name of the village? Chamula.
—
Part Three
Apollus is more pissed than he’s ever been. Imprisoned and taken to the ruins where the duel takes place, he angrily speaks to Lamanai, demanding to know why he’s betrayed them. Lamanai reveals that he had a “vision” before they reached Lacandon, telling him that the Nephites were his ultimate enemy, and that the teachings of Megan, Ryan and Apollus were just a test. As such, he should betray them and their Nephite allies, and make an alliance with Fireborn and K'ayyum to destroy them. Apollus is smart enough to know Lamanai really just thinks he can't win allying with the Nephites, but Lamanai says if the gods will it, what can he do? As such, he visited K'ayyum the night before the group's arrival to conspire against them, and has now given Apollus to him as a show of good faith. Apollus retorts that he’ll refuse to fight for K’ayyum, but the next day, K’ayyum enters with Megan’s smock covered in blood, and tells him that the Chamulan champion was given the opportunity, and killed her with glee.
Apollus hits his Rage Breaking Point. He refuses the offer to kill the Chamulan champion’s family in return, but swears to kill the champion himself. He’s told that the champion will be told he did it anyway, but he doesn’t care. His only remaining thought is to kill Megan's killer, to try to kill K'ayyum in the aftermath, and then to die from the inevitable retaliation. Eventually the day arrives, and he’s garbed in the clothing of the Lacandon god, which includes a face-concealing mask. He’s also given back his spike-studded club and a hatchet. He steps into a raised arena ringed by spears, and a stadium full of villagers of both sides cheering, and sees his opponent emerge, also wearing a face-concealing mask. Said opponent bears a short steel sword, which surprises Apollus, since he didn’t think the people in this land knew how to make them.
The two step into the arena and begin. Apollus fakes a weakness, but finds that his opponent has faked one too. Apollus draws first blood, but his opponent draws some too. The fight goes on long enough that they each lose their weapon, but end up taking their opponents’, and Apollus is dumbfounded to see that the short steel sword is a Roman sword, complete with eagle insignia. While not understanding what this must means, this and his opponent’s skill leads to the enraged Apollus having a moment of pity, and relaying to his opponent that he didn’t actually kill his family. His opponent replies that it doesn’t matter, he killed his friends, and they were as close to him as family.
—
Meanwhile, in a cell above the area, Harry Hawkins and Mary Ben Symeon are watching Gid battle the Lacandon champion. The two speculate as to why Gid is fighting so fiercely, then realize that perhaps he was told they were killed. They begin yelling Gid’s name, trying to reveal they’re not dead. At the last second, they succeed, and Gid realizes he’s been lied to. He and Apollus stop fighting. Seeing what’s happened, Chief K’ayyum orders them killed, but the two break free and scatter the audience. At the same time, the Lamanite army Steffanie and Pagag are part of starts storming the ruins.
Gid finds Harry and Mary, and Apollus - assuming she must be alive as well - goes looking for Megan. The assembled group reunite with Pagag and Steffanie and discover Lamanai, who tells them K’ayyum has taken Megan down the river. The Lamanite army, unfortunately, recognizes him as their traditional heir, and revert to his side. Apollus is unable to kill him. The two part on bitter terms, both promising to kill the other if they see them again.
The assembled group canoe down the river after Megan and encounter Ryan and his party as well. The group reach K’ayyum’s canoe and try to negotiate, Tzi’kin taking the lead. K’ayyum calls her traitorous, but Tzi’kin rejoins that her father killed her mother for something she had no control over, and that she should really be angry at him! Enraged at her “betrayal”, K’ayyum hurls a large knife at her at the same moment their party shoots him. Megan falls in the drink tied up and is rescued by Apollus, and Ryan rescues Tzi’kin in turn, but her wound is too great and tragically, she passes away on the riverside.
That night, the group confer together, finally reunited, and a wounded Apollus officially proposes to Megan, which she happily accepts. Pagag and Steffanie also share a mutual "Shut Up" Kiss, portending things to come. While people are injured and they’ve lost things, the group determine to make it to Cumorah and end this thing, at least happy they’re together.
—
Meanwhile, Josh, Marcos and Garth make it to Cumorah and confer with the Nephites’ head general Mormon. Mormon gives Josh a special job; deposit the gold plates - AKA the future Book of Mormon - in a cave near the peak of the hill. There is no one left in Nephite leadership he trusts. He asks Garth and Marcos to go with him, and advises Josh to be more open to the Christian teachings he knows he’s had. The group set out, wary of Nephite leadership, but buoyed up.
—
Epilogue
Similarly, Jim and Jenny make it outside the walls of Jerusalem and take a breather, finally safe. But fate has one more trick in store for them. They see two men take a donkey from an inn, and when questioned, one says, “The Lord hath need of them, brother.” Realizing he’s heard that before, Jim follows with Jenny, and the two make it to a gathering, where they see who the donkey is for - a young man about to make his procession down the Jerusalem street, with palm fronds being placed in his way…
