Zann and his friends tried blasting through Morb's Shield spell, but it was too powerful.
Perda peered through the translucent green wall. "Morb seems to be adjusting something on the contraption," she said. "We have to stop him before he puts the Mask on it."
"I know." Zann paced around the hut. "But how do we do that?"
Darb looked at Zann. "Wyssa said you're descended from King Zanta. Since the Mask got its power from him, maybe you have some sort of connection to it."
Perda gasped. "That would be just like Wyssa's ring!"
Darb nodded. "Wyssa said her ring had been in her family for generations. She used it to make her spells stronger. Maybe you could control the Mask, Zann."
Zann didn't like being related to such a terrible tyrant. But what if his friends were right? He had to try.
Zann stepped closer to the shield. Morb was now carrying the Mask to the contraption. Zann rubbed his hands together and focused on the Mask.
"Come to me," he murmured. The relic jumped in Morb's hand!
"What's going on?" Morb grumbled.
Zann focused all of his energy on the Mask. "Come to me."
This time the relic wiggled free of Morb's grip and flew halfway back toward the hut!
"Stop!" Morb roared. He sent a blast of magic after it. The Mask hung in midair for a second and then flew back to him.
Morb glared at Zann. "Give up, boy! My powers are much greater than yours." With a snap of his fingers, Morb shackled himself to the Mask.
Zann concentrated hard on the Mask.
"Wow!" Perda cried.
Morb's entire body slid backward toward the hut. "How are you—oh, never mind!" He rubbed his fingers together. Sparks flew.
Zann groaned as he felt Morb's magic fight back against his own. "I can't drag him anymore," Zann grunted. "His magic is too strong!"
A moan rose nearby. The pile of insects shifted slightly.
"Wyssa's still alive!" Perda exclaimed. She tried to shove some of the blank bugs away, but more kept swarming in.
Zing woke up from the Immobilization spell. He flew over, shooting flames at the blank bugs. But they hardly seemed to notice their own bodies smoking.
"Stop, Zing! You'll burn Wyssa." Darb glanced thoughtfully from the dragon to the blank bugs. "But I have an idea. Morb said these insects are related to dragons, right? Perda, can you try one of your fancy new spells to summon Teplo's sniffer goose?"
"Sure," Perda said. "Why?"
"That goose is a natural enemy of dragons," Darb said. "Maybe she'll recognize these bugs as dragons too!"
"Do it quickly!" Zann cried. A magic blast hit him, knocking him down. He sat up and saw Morb bent over, breathing heavily. "I've tired him out," Zann thought.
Perda rubbed her hands together and murmured under her breath.
Suddenly the sniffer goose burst in through an opening in the hut. When she saw the bugs, she honked and flapped toward them. The blank bugs clicked with alarm and scurried out of the hut.
Slowly Wyssa sat up, moaning.
"Morb is walking toward the contraption again!" Gliss cried.
That seemed to bring Wyssa back to her senses. She staggered to her feet and sent out a blast of magic energy. The green wall blocking the hut’s entrance vanished.
"We have to stop Morb," she croaked.
Zann was already at the hut’s entrance, racing toward Morb.
"Get back, boy!" Morb snarled. "You can't—"
Zann leaped forward and shackled himself to the Mask and Morb. When he touched the relic, a jolt ran through his body, almost knocking him over. He braced himself, remembering how another relic had taken over his mind and almost driven him crazy.
But that didn't happen this time. Zann was flooded with a power that felt perfectly natural.
He glanced toward his friends. The trolls were blocking them from helping him.
"Zap!" he cried. He was hoping to zap himself, the Mask, and Morb away from the contraption. He felt a tug, but he was unable to zap away.
Morb smirked. "Give up, Zann. You can't beat me—not this time."
Gritting his teeth, Zann tried to drag Morb away from the contraption with both his muscles and his magic. Despite the extra energy surging into him from the Mask, he was tiring fast. Morb was too powerful!
Morb sneered. "See what I mean? But perhaps my triumph can wait a few moments. It will be a pleasure to watch all the energy drain out of you first. Soon all of Magica will know how that feels!" He cackled with delight.
Darb finally managed to dodge around the trolls. He edged closer. Morb spotted him and smiled.
"Ah, the little Void," he said. "I like you, boy. You don't babble incessantly like your friends. Why don't you come with me when I leave Magica? I could use a servant." He winked. "If you prove loyal enough, perhaps I'll even teach you a few of the tricks Wyssa taught me."
"Really?" Darb said.
Zann's jaw dropped. Could Darb actually be considering Morb's offer?
"Darb, no!" Gliss cried.
Morb chuckled. "Ignore them, boy," he said, reaching out toward Darb. "Join me. You won't regret it."
"No, I won't," Darb said. He stepped closer. "But you might regret some things soon!"
He yanked something out of his pocket and tossed it to Zann, who caught it automatically with his free hand. Only then did he see what it was: the infusinator! Suddenly more energy flowed into Zann. This could be his chance!
"Zap!" he shouted with every bit of energy he could muster.