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Lazarus noticed that he was not in the cavern anymore and he was back at the forest, but then he noticed something was different.
He saw people walking along the forest trails and they were all different races; Elves, dwarfs, humans, centaurs, and other races he couldn't recognize. They didn't even notice him, but they were talking to each other.
He also noticed these people didn't have the usual spark or essence he saw in his friends. The essence his friends had was the spark of being alive. These people were not alive.
A beautiful woman dressed in a Roman toga came toward him. She moved in a sassy manner toward him and stopped. "My name is Appleonia, and you are not supposed to be here. Or, you shouldn't be here yet."
Her violet eyes stared at him and waited.
"Appleonia, can you help me? I'm not dead, and I came here to find the great wizard, Merlin."
"Some great wizards have come here before. Are you a great wizard looking for answers?” Appleonia was easily taller than him and she looked down at him.
"I'm looking for another wizard, Merlin," Lazarus said.
Appleonia turned away from him and disappeared into the forest amid the people. He shook his head and started to move forward. Then he recalled his dream. He remembered seeing a vast valley with a stream flowing through the middle and also a castle perched on the top of a mountain. Merlin was at the edifice. He scanned around the forest and knew he needed to move fast. There were other guardians here and they would soon be coming to attack him.
Summoning his power, he floated upwards until he was over the top of the forest. Then he saw something weird. Everything around him radiated with an intense light, but it wasn't the same light he saw at Middle Earth, but an unearthly glow. It was like staring into the stars.
Lazarus scanned around, looking for the landmarks he saw in his dream. Something caused him to turn to the side. It was a small globe with lightning captured inside its middle. It came toward him and stopped a hand's width from him. It glowed two times and took off toward his left and sped away.
"Hey," Lazarus said. "What are you?"
Something, intuition perhaps, told him he needed to follow. Flying as fast as he could, he still couldn't catch it. The orb stopped for a few seconds and then took off again and Lazarus knew it was somebody else leading him somewhere. He should have stopped. This was ludicrous.
Lazarus ceased following the glowing orb. This was not helping him. He was lost. In his mind he yelled, "Merlin, please help me." The great Mage didn't answer him. The wind picked up and flowed around him. Suddenly next to him was the glowing orb.
He said again, "What are you? What do you want from me?"
A voice said, "I know what you are looking for."
Lazarus would have jumped if he was standing on the ground, but he merely looked at the glowing orb.
"And what am I looking for?"
"You are looking for the only person who was also alive but trapped in the crystal."
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because his presence defiles this place. He cannot be here, but he is. And we want you to free him and take him away."
Lazarus was not sure if the crystal sphere was going to help him or if it was an enemy.
"But be wary, Mage, he is protected by powerful magicks."
"Lead me to him."
The glowing sphere started to fly again but slower this time. They started off toward the edge of the forest but Lazarus didn't see any valley or river. Suddenly, a glow appeared in the air before them. Without hesitation, the sphere traveled through it. Lazarus slowed for a second and then also moved through it. A blinding flash hurt his eyes and then he was hovering above a long valley with a waterfall at the far end and a flowing river beneath him.
The glowing sphere was next to him. "I cannot go further. But I think you know where to go."
Lazarus looked toward the mountain to his right and he saw the imposing castle perched on top with high gothic spires.
"Yes," Lazarus said, "but before you leave can you tell me about the powerful magic guarding him."
"We cannot approach the castle because of this magic. We are repelled away. That is the only thing we know."
"Thank you," Lazarus said.
He flew away and moved as fast as he dared. Lazarus didn't mask or hide his ascent toward the large edifice because there was no place to hide his movement. Whoever—or whatever—was guarding him was waiting for him, and he was ready. His magic was ready. And for a split second he wished he had his fellow Alpha Mages with him.
Suddenly, he stopped. He thought he was acting reckless. Looking at the castle, he scanned the walls and embattlements with his newfound magical powers. For some reason, he didn't see any magical powers swirling around the castle. In fact, everything looked lifeless without any ghosts, specters or magical beings inside. He wondered if the glowing sphere was mistaken.
Then something happened the closer he got to the castle. The edifice started to change. Dark magical energies started to gather along the walls. Yet, Lazarus kept flying toward the castle. He instantly created a magical force field around him. He was ready for anything.
Lazarus moved to the very front of the portcullis and waited. Nothing happened. Shaking his head, Lazarus started toward the entrance of the castle. But then the castle shimmered and then disappeared. And before him now was nothing but air.
It was an illusion, and Lazarus kept moving forward. He felt at any time he would feel the walls of the edifice but he didn't encounter anything.
"Where are you?" Lazarus asked. "Merlin, help me. I cannot find you."
Nothing answered him but the sound of the waterfall far away. It was maddening. Lazarus was so close. He looked around and used his new sight to overscan the grounds. The castle and walls were gone. Then he saw something. A person appeared before him.
It was himself, staring back at him.
