Possessing the Grimstone - By John Grover Page 0,71
die.
Olani fought her way back to the wall and stood alongside Sooth-Malesh. She donned a suit of armor that was meant for a man, but she didn’t care. She commanded another battalion of archers with flaming arrows.
“I see you have managed to shed your sickness, my dear.”
“I’ve cured it for good.” She looked at him with a sly smile. “And I’ve brought reinforcements.”
“It won’t be enough. The gates are weakening.”
“Still, we must not give up. A change in the wind may come at any moment.”
“We have not heard from our champions in nearly a month. If the wind does not bring them with it, we will need to accept our fate… the fate of our world. I will miss it.”
“It’s not over yet, Crimson mage. Fire!”
The flaming arrows ripped through the sky. Sooth-Malesh pointed at them, and they joined as one, exploding with a crack of thunder, and raining hell down onto the battle.
###
Custodian Charris waited on the docks as the group’s ship rolled in. He greeted them with a huge grin. Behind him, his people stood by with the group’s horses, well fed and rested.
“Glory to you all!” Charris called. “Our hearts sing at your return. May we see it, this stone?”
Pim and the others made their way past him as quickly as possible.
“Custodian Charris,” Tolan called. “We appreciate all of your help and gracious hospitality, but we can spare no more time! Our people are dying. We have lost many. We must go.”
“Just one look, I insist,” he ran after them to their horses.
Pim climbed onto his horse, his pack glowing green. Charris scurried over to him, grabbing hold of his leg. “Please… just one look!”
“Let go of me!” Pim shook his leg, but the Custodian held on tight. “We must go… we must! Let go!”
Drith drew his sword, preparing to strike. Tolan and Shannara placed their hands on the hilts of their weapons.
Pim grabbed hold of his pack and leered at Charris. “Get back!”
A wave of of energy swept the docks, throwing Charris and all of his people to the ground. A look of terror washed over Charris’s face.
“I-I-I’m s-sorry,” Pim said.
“Let us go,” Tolan said to Pim. He turned back to Charris one last time. “Thank you again for your ship and crew. You have helped save our world.”
A nervous smile drew across Charris’s face and he waved the group off.
They galloped out of Fiongall, down the coast, heading west toward Gonnish.
Another day of riding, and a break for sleep and food, and the group reached the outskirts of Gonnish. They galloped through devastated farmland, withered crops, and burned fields.
Pim held strong; his mind focused on reaching his home and the rushing river where he’d first ran across the water.
The further they rode, the worse the destruction grew. Scorched trees collapsed as the group passed. Wells were now piles of rubble. Bridges were destroyed. They were forced to circle around through a thorned thicket to reach the village proper.
Gonnish was in ruins. Piles of rubble, once cozy homes, smoldered by the hundreds. Debris filled the ground, farms and gardens were ravaged, and fences were now in splinters.
The Order of Thet’s ceremonial building and totems were destroyed; the Warrior Guild, too, was nothing more than crumbled walls and a collapsed roof. Nearly all the homes were burned down.
Pim came upon his own home. Its roof was collapsed: one wall was missing, and the rest of the frame was blackened and charred. Ashes blew from its foundation. He jumped from his horse, approached the threshold, and stopped.
The young Wivering fell to his knees as tears began to stream down his face silently. His chest heaved and arms trembled at the sight.
Tolan looked down on him, his heart breaking for the boy. He placed his hand on his shoulder.
Pim looked up at him, eyes wet. “All I’ve ever known is gone.”
“We will rebuild it with you.”
“How? We haven’t won anything. All we do is lose everything we love.”
“It is not over yet, Pim. You hold the key to our victory.”
“Part of a key… we still don’t have the other piece. What if they already found it?”
“We have to try, my friend. Try for your family, for your life. Where is this river?”
Pim stood up and wiped the tears from his face. “Follow me.”
###
“The current is very strong. I was almost swept away in it once.” Pim looked across the raging river at the trees he had leaped upon. It felt so long ago.
Shannara stepped to the edge. “I feel