Oh, King Eventine, we hardly knew ye.

Though you lived a long and impressive life, we only got to see you in your final moments on The Shannara Chronicles, in the days before your untimely death. Widely known as the greatest elf king ever to have lived, Eventine was unceremoniously killed in this week’s episode. So who drove the sword into his stomach and why?

It was that pesky Changeling demon that’s still running around the Arborlon royal palace! Allanon may believe he killed the shapeshifting demon in last week’s episode “Reapter,” but it had taken on the form of Eventine’s eldest son and killed the king when the two of them were alone in the palace throne room, only to then take the form of the king himself. So yes, now there’s a demon sitting on the throne in Arborlon with the intention of turning the royal family against Allanon. Without his protection, the entire city will be defenseless against the Dagda Mor. This is not going to be good for anyone.

So where were Eventine’s actual sons while he was getting so brutally murdered? Ander decided to ally himself with one of the elves’ biggest enemy: the gnomes. You see, 10 years ago, the gnomes invaded Arborlon and killed Amberle’s father/Eventine’s eldest son at the time. That’s why her uncles have always been so protective of her in the present, because they know of the threat that’s out there. The elves kept the only surviving gnome—Slanter, the self-appointed leader of the gnome rebellion—in their prison for the past 10 years. Unfortunately, he’s the only one who knows how to navigate the mountain break line where all the demons are gathering their army.

Ander convinces Arion to let him take Slanter to track the demons and see how many are gathered in order to return with the appropriate troops and strike them before they even know what’s happening. It’s going to be tough going, seeing as how Slanter was the one to kill their older brother 10 years ago. But the enemy of my enemy… The Dagda Mor’s demons will kill every creature in the four lands, and so it’s making some strange bedfellows right now.

Meanwhile, as the quest to save the Ellcrys finally gets on its way, Wil is shocked at how coldly Amberle has been treating him. He still doesn’t know that the Ellcrys told the princess to harden her heart towards him in order for the quest to succeed. He also doesn’t agree with how Amberle and the soldiers accompanying them are treating Eretria, keeping her chained up and running behind their horses the entire way.

Of course, everyone’s fates is flipped when Cephalo’s Rovers attack, freeing Eretria and capturing Wil, Amberle, and the rest of their party. Even though she finally earns her freedom from her “father,” Eretria d0es the right thing (for a price, of course) and double-crossed Cephalo. She knocks out his men with sleeping powder in their drinks and captures Cephalo (right as he was about to rape Amberle!), freeing Wil, Amberle, and their guards. They also take Cephalo as their hostage to make sure he can’t hunt them anymore. That decision, although questionable, actually proved quite helpful.

The Ellcrys crew faces yet another obstacle on their quest when they come across a poisoned field and the demon the Dagda Mor sent to intercept Amberle and her Ellcrys seed. The demon had already infiltrated the fort they were traveling to and killed all the people inside, including the one they were hoping could help them find Safehold. But that’s a problem for later; the more immediate issue is running from the attacking demon. Wil tries to use the elfstones to kill the demon, but this time, it doesn’t work. Instead, Cephalo leads it straight into the poisoned field and uses the gasoline on the ground to blow it up. Who knew he would come in handy so soon?!

Back in Arborlon, Allanon takes Bandon under his wing to help him hone his magical gift and to make sure he stays on the path of good. But in their training, Bandon sees a vision of Amberle bloodied and dead, along with the Dagda Mor’s stone henge. In the vision, the Dagda Morhad  captured Bandon, and in reality, his eyes burn black and he passed out. Did Allanon lose his new apprentice after only one day?

What did you think of this week’s shocking episode of The Shannara Chronicles?

—

Images: MTV

The Shannara Chronicles airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on MTV.