Possessing the Grimstone (14 page)

The leader of the group, a strong, lean woman with long raven hair and violet eyes that glinted in the light, bowed in return. “No one owes anyone. We have a duty to protect all life. We are honored to join the fight. I am Shannara, leader of my people.”

“I am Tolan of Cardoon. You know of the threat?”

“Of course. Our seers foresaw the invasion and the threat to our world.” She gestured to the trail among the trees, where two men, fair-skinned and shorter than the women, appeared. They wore flowing white robes with hoods covering their faces. “We had no choice but to defend Athora. We are all sisters and brothers.”

“Those are quite the weapons you wield. You sent the Gnolls yelping like dogs.”

“They are called dagblades, our twin dagblades; an invention by our men. They are very formidable.”

“Your men do not fight?” Pim asked in disbelief.

Shannara smiled. “Of course not. They raise the children and grow the food. They are not as strong as we are. We are warriors of Thet. Some of our men have the gift of sight to make up for their lack of strength.”

“Amazing,” Pim said.

“Ridiculous,” Drith shook his head as he and his guard corralled their horses.

Shannara laughed. “There are many different people in Athora, Wivering. Not all are like yours. Among our people, we are the warriors and protectors.”

“What brings you to the Graywing Mountains?” Tolan asked.

“The same reason as you,” Shannara answered. “Our seers have pointed us to the grounds of the First People. The only way to stop the Neshing is to find the other two pieces of the stone.”

“Yes,” Tolan said. “It is the most important thing in the world, right now. Nothing else matters.”

“Agreed. We foresaw your journey, and we’ve come to assist you. Together we can use each other’s strengths and put an end to the horrors that have invaded our lands.”

“We welcome you,” Tolan said. “Thet smiles on us, today.”

Shannara smiled, her eyes catching the light as she sheathed her dagblades.

“If both of you are done having afternoon tea, may we continue?” Drith said before flipping onto his horse.

“Some respect, Drith. Shannara of the D’Elkyrie has saved our lives.”

“Please, we were just about to cut out of the dogs’ net and serve them to their Under God.”

Tolan laughed. “If you say so.” He turned back to Shannara. “Shall we be on our way, my lady?”

“Of course, there is no time to waste.”

After burying their dead, Tolan fetched his horse and that of his fallen comrade. He offered it to Shannara. She graciously accepted and climbed upon it. Pim trailed behind. He couldn’t take his eyes off Shannara. Her ivory skin nearly glowed; her long hair was the color of the night sky, and shimmered across her shoulders. Her eyes were mesmerizing, and the strength she possessed made her all the more mysterious and alluring.

She is an amazing woman.
Pim tried to keep focused, but already he found himself thinking of Shannara and her violet eyes. He climbed onto his horse and started down the path.

Drith and his guard led the way as Tolan, Pim, and the remaining single soldier of Cardoon followed. Six D’Elkrie warriors walked alongside their leader and the other horses, the sun reflecting off of their silver mail armor, dancing along the trees. The two seers traveled with them, protected by their warriors.

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The air grew thin; clouds shrouded the top of the mountains, and trees became scarce.

They passed by a bubbling river, and the trail widened as stone columns began appearing along it. Most of the columns were broken, and the tops were missing. All of them were carved with runes that no one could read. It was believed to be the language of the First People.

Pim thought that the columns might have been crowned with perches for the winged people to sit upon to survey their land. Or they could have just been markings of what section of the road you were on. It was a mystery.

They traveled on, discovering more runes carved into boulders and rock formations. There were some old pottery pieces scattered on the path. Pim tried to peer inside some of them, but there was nothing to see.

The grass on the ground appeared scorched. There were animal bodies, horned skulls, gaping sockets, fossilized teeth. They passed what looked like a massive basin, either for catching rain water, or for bathing in. There was a carving of a pair of wings on it

Soon, the road ended at the face of the tallest mountain. There was a downward slope, and then an alcove. Everyone stopped. Drith jumped from his horse, followed by Tolan and Pim. Shannara drew up next to Tolan and the Wivering.

Pim shivered at her arrival.

They moved down the slope to the alcove and found the yawning mouth of a cave. Embedded in the opening was a stone gate. Above it was a stone carving of a being with wings.

Drith went up and pushed on the gates. They didn’t budge.

Tolan slid his hand along the surface of the gate, smelling a musty odor seeping from beneath it. “Well, now all we have to do is figure out how to open it.”

“A feat easier said than done,” Shannara said. “I see no handles or keyholes. What if only the First People could open such a gate?”

“Then we are all doomed.” Tolan said.

Chapter Ten

“A bit overly dramatic, don’t you think?” Shannara asked Tolan. There was a gleam in her eye, and a smirk across her lips.

“You do not take the threat to Athora seriously?”

“On the contrary. If you had seen what my seers have seen, your hair would be white. I mean no insult, but we have encountered our first challenge, and you see the world ending. I feel our constitutions are a bit stronger than that.”

“And I mean no insult, Queen Shannara, but you must fathom the gravity of the situation. It cannot be taken lightly. I have seen firsthand what this enemy can do.”

“No doubt, they are fearsome. I prefer to hold confidence than despair, but we’re all different.” She walked up to the stone gate, and laid her hands on it. “I sense power behind this entryway: old magic. There is definitely an energy left behind by the Mulcavrii.”

“You feel the magic?” Pim asked.

She turned to him and nodded with a smile. “Indeed. It’s another gift of my people. We feel magic where it lingers, or its residue when it’s been used, or is about to be used. There is a slight change in the air, a charge, so to speak. Particles form around the natural world, and then concentrate. Sometimes we are able to harness it for a short time.”

“Really? Maybe you can use the magic to open the gate!” Pim shouted optimistically.

Shannara shook her head. “No, I’m afraid this magic is too old. The residue is weak, and there isn’t enough of it.”

Pim nodded, and tried not to stare at her quite so obviously.

“That doesn’t mean there isn’t something on the inside we can use. Panno.”

One of the seers got up from his perch. He removed the hood from his head and moved to the gate. Placing both hands on it, he pressed his head gently to the stone, and closed his eyes.

Everyone focused their attention on him. It took quite a bit effort for Pim to pull himself from Shannara, but he, too, managed to watch Panno.

“There is darkness beyond.” Panno began. “Passageways, heights, coming together. Memories… power, too much, flooded with it. Uncontrollable. Death, guilt, repentance. Nothing else useful.” He caught his breath and began to pant. A bit of perspiration glistened on the back of his neck. Finally, he pulled his hands away. “Sorry, there is nothing that would help us open it. No gears or wheels, no levers, no devices. It is a mystery.”

“Good try,” Shannara said. She put her hand on Panno’s shoulder, then ran it over his face, caressing his cheek. He seemed to blush before returning to his seat beside the other seer.

Such an interesting people, these D’Elkyrie, Pim thought. He stared at the gate and the carving of the Mulcavrii above it, wings spread wide, arms reaching for the skies. Movement caught his attention, and Pim watched Tolan make his way past the group and to the gate. He drew his sword and slashed it over and over.

Pim saw the frustration in the warrior; his patience was dwindling. Finally, Tolan stopped, and curled his free hand into a fist. He pounded on the gate a few times before stepping back, chest heaving, head hanging low.

Drith chuckled to himself behind Pim. The Wivering could almost feel the hot air of the Southern king’s breath on his back.

Shannara conversed with her seers while the rest of her warriors sharpened their dagblades. Pim remembered his first glimpse of them gliding in on their artificial wings, launching an attack fiercer than he had ever seen. “Why did you leave your wings behind?” he asked.

Shannara pulled her attention away from Panno and the other seer. “They are not meant for permanent use. They are of delicate craftsmanship, and wear out over time. We were on higher ground when we took to the air, which is the only way they are successful. After we leave the Graywing Mountains, there would not be much use for them.”

“I see.” Pim smiled at her, then looked away, shyness taking him over. He thought of their wings, and of the Mulcavrii, again. He studied the gate once more. Then the words of his people flashed through his mind.

The First People traded their wings so that we may fish in the rivers and farm in the fields…

Something caught Pim’s attention. The First People, the Mulcavrii, were the only ones at the time with wings, but they were not the only people to exist. Others came come along. How would one keep intruders out? Using what makes you unique, gifted. All the various races of Athora were gifted in one way or another.

“I think I know,” Pim said, rising to his feet. All eyes turned to him. “The carving of the Mulcavrii…” he pointed up at it. “It might contain a secret lever or key. The First People could fly—they would be the only ones to reach that carving… an inventive way of keeping strangers out.”

“Brilliant!” Shannara said with a laugh. “But we have no wings in the group now, nor do any of you. How do we reach the carving?”

Pim turned to Drith.

Drith rolled his eyes. “Very clever, Wivering, you wish to make use of my gift. So be it.” He walked over the face of the mountain and scaled the gate. He climbed with ease, clinging to the rocky edifice like a spider. He crawled to the carving of the winged humanoid, and searched it with his hands.

For a few moments, it seemed fruitless, but finally, Drith pressed the carving’s forehead, and a piece of it sunk in.

The gate yawned open with a rumble, stretching a curtain of cobwebs across its opening. Drith dropped to his feet without a misstep, and returned to his guard.

“Well done, my friend!” Tolan patted Pim on his back, and then tussled his hair. “Come, history awaits.” He fished around the packs on his horse, and fetched some torches and flint. He threw one to Pim, one to Drith, and kept one for himself.

They fastened their horses to a single skeletal tree, and moved toward the dark opening: a jagged slice in the side of the mountain.

Pim scratched the flint against the stone wall, and sparks fell to his torch, igniting it. A hot, rancid breeze washed over his face as they moved into the mountain. The cave walls were moist. Dripping sounds resonated in the distance.

The gate closed behind them after they’d all passed through it. Shannara drew her twin blades, and the others followed suit. The passageway, with its smooth floors and walls, twisted and turned, ascending higher and higher within the mountain.

The group walked through a great arch carved with strange runes and more figures with wings. The stone of the arch glittered in the torchlight; it was unlike anything Pim had ever seen. He wanted to touch it, and even reached his hand out, but reconsidered and pulled back at the last minute.

Shadows writhed on the walls and ceiling, seeming alive.

They came to a small landing with double archways. Darkness swelled beyond them; it was colder. He looked all around him, waiting for cues from Tolan, Shannara, and Drith. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he noticed something move above him. As he looked up and lifted his torch, the ceiling shifted.

Terror gripped him. His heart lurched into his throat, and he gasped. Drith’s guard rushed to Pim and shoved him out of the way as a jelly mass dropped from the ceiling.

The ochre-colored, flesh-eating jelly covered Drith’s guard. His scream drowned in a gargle as his skin melted, and his muscles dissolved. The jelly devoured the man’s body and liquefied every part.

The others looked on in horror as he sank into oblivion and the jelly spread out on the floor. A pair of fleshless arms reached one last time from the center of the slick.

Tolan lunged at the jelly and swung his torch at it. The creature blazed with crackling fire and slithered past the warrior, through the archways into the darkness.

Pim watched the light of the flames from his spot on the floor. They grew weaker and weaker until they dropped off, altogether. Pim saw Tolan’s hand reach down in front of him. The stunned Wivering managed to shake himself back to reality and take it. “He saved my life.”

“And now I have no guard,” Drith said.

“I will guard you,” Pim said. He moved to Drith and pushed his sword into the floor before him. “I owe it to your guard.”

“Spare me your drivel, Wivering.” Drith dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “You cannot hope to protect me. You are much too young and inexperienced. Your battle skills are lacking.”

“You may not believe in me, but I will watch over you.”

“Do as you wish.” He walked away from Pim, who joined Tolan and Shannara at the double archways.

“To the right, or left?” Tolan asked Shannara.

“Panno tells me it makes no difference,” she answered. “The passages circle around and meet at the same point. The center is a great drop. We must watch our steps.”

He chose the left path, and the others followed him: Shannara, her warriors and seers, Pim behind them, and Drith at the rear.

The torchlight brought the chamber to life bit by bit. All around them, ledges of various shapes and sizes covered the walls. The chamber was a huge oval-shaped area with steep walls..