Author's note: Sorry if the chapters are kinda short now but i've had midterms and had to study for it so i couldn't write as much, i promise the next chapter will be a lot longer. In the meantime, i hope you enjoy reading as much as i did writing.
Allanon could feel himself being carried upon the rough back of a troll as the troll ascended a flight of stairs. As he slowly regained feeling in his body, he could feel the extent of damage done by the bolt of energy. His chest still burned like fire from the impact and every impact from the ascending of the troll sent pain searing across his chest. He had underestimated by far the power of the Warlock Lord and now if he did not escape, he would doom the fate of the four lands. He tried to open his eyes but found that it had been bound by some type of magic force. It didn't matter much, his druid senses could tell what was happening around him without him opening his eyes. He knew where he was being taken and if he did not escape, there would be no chance of escape. He had been inside the room before when he had to rescue everyone during the last quest against the Warlock Lord. He had released the hidden cache from outside to open the door and could see no cache on the other side. Once he was put in there, there would be no escape.
For the first time in many years, a strong wave of guilt rushed through him. He was supposed to be the protector of the four lands and yet he had fallen prey to the enemy he sought to defeat. He had underestimated his enemy when he knew he should not have. With each step passing, he felt worse and worse. For the first time in his life, he thought about the people that he had let down and the people that he had lied to in order to gain what he wanted. He thought of all the negatives things in his life that he had done and tried to find a positive thing to redeem it. He found only negatives things in his life. Suddenly, a new feeling rushed through him. He would not let the Warlock Lord succeed even if it cost him his life. For once, he would do something good in his life to make up for all the wretched things that he had done. At once, he summoned all the power he had left in his body and sent it to shatter the strands of magic that held his hands and eyes bound. He found the response immediate, the Warlock Lord's power was not as strong as it was before and it broke off instantly.
Without hesitation, he freed himself easily from the troll's grasp and burned it to a pile of ashes in mere seconds as he fought to keep his resolve over the pain that dispersed through his chest. The suddenness of the pain brought him down to his knees as he clutched his chest with both hands. He knew that he did not have time to hesitate or the army of the Warlock Lord would be on him and that would be the end for him. With that in mind, he eased himself up against the wall and began to sprint down the stairs. He was still far from ground level and after he reached ground level he would have to get across the encampment which was full of enemies who would be looking for him soon enough. Even if the northlanders had not seen the flash of druid fire that he had omitted, he was sure that the Warlock Lord would have sensed it and alerted his army.
It was a couple minutes pass before Allanon reached the bottom of the stairs and as he did, he heard the shouts of alarm that arose from the encampment in front of him. He hurriedly reached his hands back and found to his relief that his hood had not been blasted off by the black bolt of energy and hastily put it on. He reasoned that if he could only make it through the ranks of enemies without being detected then he would have a greater chance of escape rather than fighting them head on. He knew that he was not strong enough for a head on battle and the pain in his chest was worsening with each passing breath. His heart began to accelerate as he moved closer and closer to the front line of the encampment. Trying his best to pass off as a northlander, he pulled his hood closer over his head to shield his face from view and walked beside a group of goblins who were walking the same way he was headed.
"What's the alarm for, one goblin asked as he checked the short sword that he strapped around his waist."
The reply came from one of the other goblins that were traveling along, "The druid Allanon has escaped..."
"Yeah, so what? So I had to quit my nap for this, why doesn't the master search for the druid himself if he's all powerful."
A sudden idea traversed Allanon's mind as he watched the goblins arguing with themselves. He knew how the northlanders were dim witted and would start a fight within their own ranks over simple things. If he could help to excite them, maybe he could create a diversion and escape while causing a chaotic scene. It would slow down their approach to Callahorn at least. The more he thought about it, the more it sounded like the right option to take. He smiled to himself as he thought how bold this idea was. He knew exactly what to do and waited until he was within a big group of northlanders, all who were looking for him. As he passed beside the two goblins that were arguing, he shoved one of them into another. The response was what he had hoped for. Within seconds, the two goblins had started a fight between themselves and only moments later, the rest of the army joined in. None of them noticed the cloaked figure that ran off into the distance.
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Menion awoke several hours later to a thumping of footsteps outside the dungeon he was trapped in. It sounded like more than one person but he couldn't tell because the voices were muffled and distorted by the thick dungeon walls. He resisted the urge to yell out for help from not knowing who was on the other side. When the voices became clearer as they came nearer, he was glad that he didn't yell. The voices were harsh and rough. Menion knew at once that the voices were of a goblin and a troll. He had heard them once before when he was fighting the battle at Callahorn which decided the fate of the four lands until Shea could destroy the Warlock Lord. He waited for the voices to pass by before he got up to get food from the food storage. At least the Warlock Lord thought he was dead. That would be a good thing which he could use to his advantage. The dungeon was lit by the torches that Menion had lit earlier before to illuminate the many passages around. The dungeons of Leah had never been used before to imprison anyone. The need had never arrived. The walls had moss growing on it which acted as a pillow as Menion lay against the wall after his brief meal. When would he be rescued, he wondered as he lay against the wall listening to the voices of the goblin and troll as they came back again.
"Ha, the prince never knew what hit him! Now that he is gone, the plan of the Warlock Lord will surely succeed, said the goblin."
"The heir of the Shannara bloodline has been captured, everyone who would have been a threat has been neutralized. Only the druid Allanon lives, he is a slippery devil isn't he, was the response from the troll who spoke in a rougher voice."
"Yeah, I'd like to show that druid what I've got, he probably wouldn't even last a second against me, the other boasted."
There was a pause as Menion heard another voice, a familiar one. The voice was that of someone Menion knew but could not remember who it was. Suddenly, the wine cellar on the other side of the dungeon wall erupted in sudden yells. He could barely hear the sound of a weapon being drawn before all was silent once again. He heard footsteps coming over to the dungeon and without hesitation, drew the Sword of Leah from out of his sheath on his back, waiting for the wine rack to slide open and reveal the new person. Moments later, a sharp click sounded as the release catch was activated on the other side of the wall causing the wine rack slid open revealing a robed figure that Menion recognized instantly. It was the druid Allanon.
"It is time that we leave this place. Hurry, I have visited the Hadeshorn recently and had been told that the Warlock Lord has returned with his army at full force...maybe even double the number that we last witnessed. If we do not rush, we may not be able to save the four lands this time, or your son Rone who is at his mercy. More importantly, you will have to journey to the Northland, to t he skull kingdom, the Warlock Lord's domain and destroy him. I was not told how you would accomplish this or what would happen from now until then but I am sure that you will find more answers as you journey forth. I have matters of my own to attend to and we shall meet again sometime in your journey. Now go."
The druid turned around and walked away towards the main entrance hall leaving a bewildered Menion standing in the wine cellar. Had he heard correctly? The Warlock Lord and his army had returned and he was to stop him? How would he do that? He didn't even have the Shannara bloodline within him or even the elfstones. He doubted that the Sword of Leah could do much against the Warlock Lord. Why had the druid given him this quest? He stood there thinking for a short while longer before finally deciding that he would heed the druid's words and complete his quest. He prepared his supplies quickly as he rummaged through the rest of the food stores in the dungeon and turned to head towards the gates of Leah. As he opened the gates of Leah a short while later, he turned around to bid farewell to his memories at Leah, not knowing if he would return alive or not.