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Lazarus heard a voice. It sounded like Marlena but it was faint. The Vvong Queen towered over him. Her large dragon face stared at him. Her scales glittered in different colors and he was amazed at the brilliance of her. She was magnificent.
Morgana’s glowing scarlet eyes stared at him. She was waiting for his answer.
He was about to say something but she said, “Lazarus, look around you. You cannot win this battle. I'm only using a quarter of my power. If I was flesh, I will show you have to use your magic.”
He was floating in the darkness of space but he saw before him a vast battle scene. Instantly, he knew he was watching Duke Grendel's ships fighting against the Vvong enemy. Bright arcs of explosions rocked the battle scene. The Vvong ships pressed the advance with large spacecraft. Lazarus was about to summon his power but the scene before him changed again.
He saw Merlin trapped in an underground chamber. The walls were closing on around him. Merlin was growing younger changing into a young man and then a baby.
Lazarus tried to run at Merlin but the scene changed again. He was inside a magical shield with the other Alpha Mages. They were all frozen. Outside the barrier, Captain Marlena was running down the slope followed by a monstrous creature with an elf’s head. The creature scrambled to get her with its large tentacles like an octopus.
Lazarus yelled but Marlena couldn't hear him. He looked over at the Alpha Mages. Cindy and the others were staring off into the sky. They were also trapped by Morgana’s spell.
The Vvong Queen said, “You know what you have to do. Just use Excalibur and all this will stop. I will cease my troops from killing your friends.”
Lazarus looked at the scene before him. The sword Excalibur was instantly in his hands. Deep wells of anger came to him unforbidden, and he wanted to strike out and hit something. He knew even with all his powers and experience. He was no match for the Vvong Queen who had lived centuries as a monster. Then he heard something. It sounded like sweet sounding music and then it was eclipse by another sound. It was something jarring and loud.
Lazarus clapped his hands over his ears to try to silence the sounds.
Morgana said, “What is wrong with you?”
Lazarus shook his head. He couldn't speak. Morgana couldn't hear the warring music. He realized he heard the sweet music before. It was before the Bastions were opened and magic flooded Earth. It was before he attained his powers.
The music was inside mind. It was tonally palatial and thundering. The sound was coming from within him. It was his own magic calling him. And the other sound was coming from Morgana. It was jarring like thunder coming from a storm.
She couldn't hear it. Lazarus stared at her and saw within her body a book, a magical book. It was the Grimoire. The book was making the thunder sound. These magics were responding to each other. He was not sure what to make of this.
Morgana’s reptilian face sneered at him. Lazarus held the sword Excalibur up to his face. He saw his features on the blade and he looked sad and also bewildered.
A deep voice boomed, “Lazarus, we have been waiting for this.”
“What?” Morgana said. “Grimoire, you’re addressing him?”
Her dragon body shuddered as the Grimoire exploding out of her body. Morgana fell to the ground and changed. She became a woman again dressed in a green robe.
She said, “You cannot leave me. I have done everything that you have asked from me. I gave you dominion over most of the galaxy.”
The Grimoire ignore her pleas and came toward him. Cindy and the other Alpha Mages awoke from their stupor. He heard Cindy gasped.
She said, “Lazarus what’s happening?”
“Everybody, stay where you are,” he said, “I don’t know how dangerous this thing is.”
The magical book was glowing an intense scarlet red. It came forward straight at him and then stopped a few feet away.
“We have engineered this meeting between you and us, the Grimoire. You’re more suited to do our bidding. Morgana is only power hungry and you’re stronger,” the book said.
Morgana looked up and then screamed, “This was your plan in the beginning!”
The Grimoire said, “Yes, we needed a host to keep us alive, and you suited us for a time. Until, Merlin cursed you and made you a spirit. We were looking for somebody stronger and better. Lazarus is that person.”
Morgana stood and screamed, “No, I’m the stronger wizard. I can be your true champion. Not this inexperience mage.”
“No, you’re the weakling,” the Grimoire said.
Lazarus felt somebody suddenly appear next to him. It was Merlin. He stood a few feet away from him. And he looked older. Merlin had aged.
The great wizard said, “Grimoire, you cannot take Lazarus as your host. You already had Morgana and I’m not going to have you ruin another person’s life.”
Merlin said telepathically to Lazarus. “When the Grimoire tries to attack you, you need to teleport away.”
Lazarus was not sure how to teleport and he only had his instincts. Grimoire suddenly flew straight at him. Lazarus concentrated and teleported himself a few feet away. Merlin appeared where he was a few seconds ago. The Grimoire kept moving toward him. Merlin grinned and opened his hand.
A black magical box appeared in his hand and the Grimoire flew straight inside and was trapped. The black box closed and shut.
Morgana yelled and ran toward Merlin. The great mage said, “Morgana, without the Grimoire powering you. Your powers are greatly diminished.”
Lazarus saw a blast of psychic power shoot out of Morgana and hit Merlin. The great mage transported himself and the Alpha Mages away from the spell and appeared next to him.
Morgana yelled and turned toward Merlin. She snarled and attacked. Lazarus instantly held Excalibur high above his head and swiped downwards. Morgana was struck and fell backwards.
Morgana yelled upwards, “Attack, kill them all!”
