The Hadeshorn was a city under the waters that shielded its existence. It was here that the shade Bremen resided in. It was a shade full of guilt and regret. He could not stop the rebel druid Brona from becoming the Warlock Lord and had given his life to stop the evil from spreading. Even after death, he sacrificed his soul to be entombed within the Hadeshorn as a shade to help his apprentice Allanon to defeat the Warlock Lord. What he could not accomplish in life, he was tried to accomplish in the afterlife. As a shade, he could foresee the events that plagued the four lands and had sensed the evil of the Warlock Lord's return. Even after being destroyed completely by the Sword of Shannara, the Warlock Lord had found a way to return...but this time as a shade. The ripples of magic that spread through the four lands had been tampered with by an evil magic that could only have been the Warlock Lord.

Knowing that danger was coming and if something was not done about it, Bremen sought to stop this from happening. However, even the dead had its own governing system. The council of Hadeshorn consisted of the druids that had served in Paranor when it had fallen by the assault of Brona. Even after death, they still disbelieved Bremen and still thought him to be an outcast. Even after death, they were still as arrogant as when they were alive. All of the druids that were in the Hadeshorn had the ability to sense anything that was not right. All of them must have picked up the tampering in the threads of magic that spread throughout the four lands. It was a slight change but strong enough for a druid to sense. Even knowing that something was amiss, none of them had done anything to warn the world of the living. It was like this when they were all alive. He had warned all of them that Brona would turn on them but they all laughed at him and eventually banished him from Paranor for his accusation. They should have learned their lesson, but it appeared to Bremen that they had not. He sighed deeply as he pushed open the doors that lead to the council of the Hadeshorn, hopefully they would at least listen to him this time before he took matters into his own hands.

The council room was circular and empty. The only inhabitants of the room sat behind a high table that was positioned at the end of the room, facing the now open doors. There were 7 druids that were on the council. It was up to them to decide whether the world of the living should be warned about the upcoming threat or not. The 7 druid councilmen looked on as Bremen made his entrance before them. Bowing deeply, the druid Bremen began to speak.

"Greetings high council...I am Bremen."

There was a pause as the councilmen conversed between themselves. They were to decide whether Bremen's case would be heard or not. After a moment of waiting, the druid that sat in the center chair of the council stood and spoke.

"Speak and begone, we have more important matters to tend to."

Bremen was hesitant at first since he did not think the council would even accept his case. Gathering his composure again, he stood up and presented his case.

"As many of you druids must be able to sense, there has been a tampering in the magics that spread throughout the four lands..."

He was interrupted by the councilman that sat on the leftmost chair.

"Just because of a piquant change in the environment, you have reason to believe that something is amiss?"

The council suddenly came alive as the councilmen began to mutter comments to one another. Bremen had expected this from the council and was well prepared. Turning to face the councilman who had interrupted him, he replied casually.

"Perhaps you are the one who would allow another evil power to threaten the destruction of the world again. May I remind you, that it was your fault that the ban on the study of the dark arts was not enforced."

The comments suddenly stopped as the lead councilman held his hand up for order. With a calm look on his face, he spoke to Bremen.

"We have all sensed this change, however, he is right. Such a slight change in the environment could be from a natural cause, something yet to be discovered. Until there is sufficient proof, you do not have permission to make contact with the world of the living. This case is adjourned. Step aside for we have other matters to attend to."

Bremen had expected this answer from the council as well. Once the council had made up its mind, there would be no use in trying to change it back. The council was stubborn and the last comment he had made had brought back the memory of the Warlock Lord Brona. Most of the council were too embarrassed to admit that Bremen had been right. He shook his head slowly as he turned around and exited the council room. Shutting the doors behind him, he knew now that he had to take matters into his own hands and go against the decision of the council.

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The murky waters of the Hadeshorn, the place of the dead souls, hidden from view deep inside the Valley of Shale bubbled and hissed as it sensed a living presence approach. The Hadeshorn was governed by the dead souls that occupied it and it abhorred the living. There was no life inside the Hadeshorn, only the dead that wanted to be alive again. The presence which now stood at the edge of the water hesitated before moving down to the banks of the shore. The wind blew the whispers of the dead into the presence's ear. The presence was one of the few beings that ever dared to visit this place of the dead. The voices warned the presence to go back to where he had come from but the presence stood his ground and shivered at the cold that had settled upon the Valley of Shale. After a long moment of waiting, the figure rose its arms and whispered to the waters of the Hadeshorn.

"Arise, shades of the Hadeshorn. Show me what I wish to know, the voice demanded."

The response was not immediate. The figure stood in the position with his arms raised, not daring to move. The voices that had whispered warnings in his ears had stopped, filling the valley with silence. Then suddenly, the voices roared through the valley, bringing along with it, the courage of the figure who stood there. At once, the figure commanded again in a desperate attempt, using the very last of his courage for the shades to arise. This time, the waters of the Hadeshorn responded to his summoning.

The moon was high in the sky as the waters of the Hadeshorn hissed vehemently and spewed savagely at the presence who stood at its banks commanding it. The moans of the dead filled the valley, even louder than the roar of voices that had reverberated through the valley. The presence did not cower nor flee from these threats. It knew that it had been successful at the summoning and did not want to leave now that he was so close to his goal. The middle of the Hadeshorn parted revealing a robed figure who arose from the emptiness in the center of the Hadeshorn. The robed figure which was the shade that the presence had summoned now levitated above the waters of the Hadeshorn. It now lifted its head and revealed what was behind the hood that once covered its face.

"Does the one who has summoned me, know who I am."

"Yes, you are the outcast druid Bremen who had served the druid's first council many years ago, came the reply."

The shade hesitated as it seemed to scan the figure, searching from head to toe. It was a while before he spoke again, his voice calm and entrancing.

"Indeed I am, you have come to me for the future to be shown. I shall show you now, the future of which will come to pass. Three visions is all I can allow, two of these are inevitable and can not be avoided, and one that can be avoided, if the right measures are taken. But beware of what you see, for it contains many sorrows which may overwhelm you. If I show you these visions, you must swear upon your life that you will prevent the last from happening. It is all I ask in return. If you do what I ask, you shall be set free!"

"Agreed, I shall carry out your charge no matter what the costs, came the reply."

The moon was setting and the sun had peeked over the horizon when the images that had flashed through the presence's mind finally ceased. He had been shown the future of what would come to pass in the four lands...all of them, horrible images of fates that would soon come to pass. But the presence was enticed by the shade's offer. He had been in the command of Bremen's shade for most of his life. Whenever there was trouble, he was summoned to the Hadeshorn and had to carry out his charge. The shade now told him, this was the last charge if he completed it. The presence was a druid as well. He was the last one that existed in the four lands, The shade of Bremen had raised him as he was a child into the thing that could protect the four lands when he had passed away. After the images had ceased, theh shade began its descent back into the waters of the Hadeshorn. Soon, all was silent and calm as the waters of the Hadeshorn ceased to move. The druid that now stood at the banks stared off into the distance as he reviewed the impossible task that was just given to him by the shades of the Hadeshorn.