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