Chapter 5
The click of a hinge being released was the only noise heard in the room that cascaded a silver eerie glow. Another bookcase opened and two darkly hooded figures hovered into the room. Silently the wraith pointed towards the fallen Tre-stone and the Mwellret slithering form slowly approached hissing and spiting the closer it got.
It's shiny green eyes looked at the suspended Valman frozen for all time and then back to the fallen Tre-stone. Sensing the evil force within it, Stythy approached quietly.
"I'vesss comess masster," said Stythy. "I am heresss."
---Know me, now! For I am the Ildatch. The book of the dark magic. Come to me and release me……
Stythy slithered back away from the Tre-stone to cower in the corner of the chamber. The Wraith hovered across the room and raised his hands upwards and a great bolt of white light descended from its fingertips and upon the stone. With at great explosion, The Ildatch came forth from the core of the stone and flew into the hands of the Wraith. They were now one with each other, dark and hideous their souls intertwined and the book opened the mind of the Wraith to its dark powers.
"I've done your bidding, masssster. I hassss brought you the powerssss of the Dark Lord. You mussst keep your promisesssss. Free our peoplessss and releasssse our mountain back to ussss," said Stythy hissing and cowering in the far corner.
An evil laugh came from behind the dark cloaked hood and the wraith raised his hand against the Mwellret and the power released from its fingertips sending a white bolt that devoured the creature.
Snapping and hissing it fell to the floor and curled its body and then silence fell as the Wraith tucked the power of dark magic into its protective cloak and hovered closer to the Valman suspended in mid-air, wrapped in silver and as cold as stone. The Wraith picked up a jewel that was discarded upon the floor and through his hands the dark magic of the Ildatch releases a power of itself within it. Placing the stone in the center of the broken Tre-stone, the Wraith laid both his hands upon the stone and a white energy released pulling the pieces of the stone in a forced so ominous that it resealed itself and stood whole as if nothing had ever touched it. Turning, the Wraith and its master now freed hovered from the chamber, leaving the Stythy to die upon the floor next to Shea caught in-between the two worlds of the Druids.
XXX
Descending the tallest staircase as fast as his legs could carry him, Panamon Creel could almost feel his freedom as his feet landed on the stone floor in front of the hidden doorway on the crest of the mountain that he and Shea had entered.
His hand fumbled to find the hidden latch as his pike hand pushed hard against the stone wall. To his luck, he accidentally hit the latch and he heard the spring release and felt the door give way to open. Panamon Creel pushed against the door with all of his strength to hurry it along so he could make his escape as quickly as possible. Sweat poured from his brow and into his eyes while he pushed and pushed against it. When the opening was just big enough for him to escape, he quickly squeezed himself through and fell against something hard directly in his path.
Strong arms grabbed him firmly and pulled him to stand directly in front of Flick. "Panamon Creel, you black hearted soul! I should have known it was you to take Shea here!"
Flick pushed the thief away from him and cared less that the fellow landed on the ground at his feet. Flick looked to the opened door expecting Shea to come running out. A moment passed, but Shea did not come out. Turning to the thief he shouted. "Where is Shea? If you left him in there by himself, I'll turn you inside out!"
Getting upon his knees and pulling himself to stand and face Flick, he suddenly stated, "He's gone, Flick! Shea is dead!"
XXXX
A silver haze enveloped him as he felt himself walk or more so, float through the thick mist. He felt light as a feather and his mind seemed slower and harder for him to focus upon anything. Shea looked at his hands and they seemed almost invisible as if he could see directly through them. When he raised his eyes and looked straight on, Allanon stood before him.
"Shea!" yelled the Druid Allonan, "What have you done?"
"Something has happened to me, Allanon. I feel so very different, so very weak."
"You are not to be here, Shea! You were never to go through the portal!" exclaimed Allanon.
"I had to see you, Allanon, even if it means my death in doing so," said Shea weakly.
"You have accomplished just that, my dear friend. Not only have you brought your own death upon yourself, the portal is blocked and I can not get out to save you."
"Then tell me, Allanon, before I die, that what I brought into this world, my daughter, who is now dead and now my only grandson who is so weak and fragile. Tell me now that this curse upon the name of Shannara will not take his life also. I can not bear within my soul that my sins are in to him and he should suffer so. You must save him Allanon, You must save my only grandson. I beg you, Allanon, please save Wil!"
"All manner of evil seeks the blood of Shannara until it is wiped from existence, but with this curse upon your father and upon you and your family, there are also many blessings, and gifts, Shea. Shannara will rise above all and with their courage will defeat the evil forces of this world. I can not foresee everything, but rather know this in my heart and soul. That courage exists within you, Shea, within your grandson."
"But why, Allanon? Why does my grandson grow up without his mother or I grow old without my wife. Have I not done everything that was asked of me and yet I go on suffering each day. I have nothing left, Allanon, nothing to live for, but a broken heart that will never mend nor will I ever know another gentle soul to caress the great loneliness of the long years of my life. My grandson is weak and fragile. I fear he will soon die too."
"Those answers are clouded even amongst the most wise. But still, Shea, there are those that love you and need you. It is not in your nature to give up even when all else seems that you should. You have a brave heart, my friend and a kind soul. You also have a grandson who needs you as a father. He will live, Shea and the both of you will fill each others lives full."
Shea looked into the eyes of Allanon and he could see that everything that he had said was true. His heart was lifted from the darkest despair that had clouded all his reason and he knew the gravity of what he now faced.
"We must get you out of here, before it is too late," stated Allanon. "While the portal is blocked, so is my vision. Before you entered, I could feel the presence of evil and it had awoken me. I was about to rise when you entered, but now I can not sense it any longer. My powers are on the other side of this portal and are no use here where I sleep. Our only hope is to those that you have traveled with. It is up to them if you are freed."
XXX
"Panamon Creel, you coward!" shouted Flick. "You take me to, Shea now!"
Flicked grabbed his good arm and hoisted him unto his feet. Panamon Creel knew better not to fight this Valeman, as his stubbornness could never be changed once he had made up his mind to something.
"Okay, Valeman! Have it your way!" shouted Panamon Creel. "I'll take you to Shea and you can see for yourself that he is beyond any help. He is died Flick and forever lost to us!"
"Lead and I will follow you!"
Again Panamon Creel faced the long staircase, endlessly passageways, rotunda and more endless, dreaded staircases. But he kept moving and Flick stayed with him heel to toe.
The chamber door was left open when the two raced into it, all was the same just as Panamon Creel had left it. The broken goblet shattered upon the floor, and Shea locked in mid-air.
Flick's heart heaved in his chest and felt that it had stopped beating, and his lungs seemed to collapse making it impossible for him to take his next breath. His eyes filled with tears that began to run down the wrinkles of his solemn face. But for all the sorrow that filled him, Flick held on to his hope that Shea was not dead, and he clung to the strength within him. Knowing without reasoning whether it was sane or not, Flick would literally pull Shea from his grave to save him.
Flick lunged forward and with all of his strength grabbed Shea as they both landed upon the ground next to each other, Flick holding on to Shea with everything he had.
The silver and cold that held Shea suspended dispelled and instantly dissolved.
Panamon Creel raced over to the two brothers that clung to each other upon the floor, and he reached down to see if they both lived. To Panamon Creel's amazement, they both took in a deep breath and opened their eyes. Relief instantly filled Panamon Creel and he let out a laugh. "You're a crazy one, Flick! Crazy and careless, and thank goodness that you are!"
"And to that I agree with you, Northnerman!" came the voice of Allanon clothed in his long dark robes that shadowed his face within its hood.
Allanon lifted Shea to stand, while Panamon Creel did the same for Flick, with whom he admired more than what he even realized.
Flick walked over to Shea and grasped his shoulders so he could look into his brother's eye and know that he was all right. Shea could feel his brother's hands tremble. Looking into his eyes, he could see the tears filling in them. Shea pushed his brother's arms from him and brought him into a warm masculine hug as brother held brother until the fear of losing each other was gone.
Allanon looked upon the two before him, and he smiled.
While the three conversed with each other, Allanon walked over the Tre-stone and placed his hands upon the stone. He could sense the evil that stirred within its prison. Taking in his breath and closing his eyes, Allonan was thankful that the most ominous evil that dwelt there remained undiscovered and undisturbed. He placed the stone next to the platform and stood back allowing his eyes to roam taking in his chambers.
Turning around and thinking all was as it should be, he saw a burnt stain upon the stone floor in a circular pattern and it caused him to pause and ponder over it.
The end…………
Thank you all for reading and reviewing this little story that I started over a year ago and just got around to finally finishing it. I am sorry it took me so long in doing so…..I do not like to leave a story hanging until it is finished. Every time I listened to one of my favorite songs from AFI, "Silver and Cold", it reminded me that I had forgotten something.
Anyway, after reading The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks and the part of the Mwellret's speech to Jair inspired me to write this short story (as did the my favorite song)..
I hope that I did not give too much away for anyone who has not read this book yet…If you haven't it is a must read book!
One of my goals is reading all of Terry Brooks books, now that is a major challenge for me, but one that I think I will really enjoy in doing….
Thank you Shire Elf….After all this time, coming back to reviewing my story is awesome! It was wonderful to see a friend again in my reviews….(I hope you will do a short story from one of Terry's books or another Lord of the Rings, so I can repay your kindness…I am not familiar with your current stories you are writing and is why I have not been reviewing.)