Elric in the Dream Realms - Michael Moorcock [111]
Varnik leans forward, laughing at Elric.
VARNIK: “You would have to bring back the Actorios in just over a year … For that is the time of the next great astral conjunction, when the sword is needed.”
ELRIC: “Legend has it the Actorios was stolen from us before we owned the sword. The thief was a northern giant, too quick for any to follow, and not one of our warriors who sought him ever returned.”
VARNIK: “Can you do what our greatest heroes failed to do? If so I give you my word—bring me the Actorios, the Dragon Stone … and Grome shall have his sword returned … after we have used it.”
ELRIC: “Then clearly, my lord, I must find the Actorios for you … within the year!
The leader of the belligerent young men is cheered by what he overhears.
LEADER (whispers): “They’d trade away our birthright, but one will die on his quest, and the other’s easily finished …”
CHAPTER FOUR
The Dragon Stone
And so White Crow journeyed north …
With the basic kit for a long journey on foot, White Crow sets off away from the tall lodges of his people. This page could be done like Indian pictograms.
Basically it will be four panels depicting the seasons, in which White Crow makes a journey across the North American continent from south to north.
(Summer)
… Risking death …
In this sequence White Crow is attacked by a white mountain lion and defeats it.
(Fall)
… Learning wisdom …
In this sequence White Crow sits with human people, passing the peace pipe and listening while wise oldsters read from long wampum belts.
(Winter)
… Controlling his powers …
Winter on prairie, White Crow uses his magic—to stop a charging white buffalo.
(Spring)
… Defending life …
We see White Crow binding the leg of a bear, helping a deer out of a ravine, setting a white beaver on its way …
BEAVER: “I am grateful, White Crow …”
BEAVER: “… But I will not accompany you. We shun the long house you seek. It lies due north. It is fairly well defended.”
Beavers are famous for their understatement …
… and had good reason to shun the giants’ “long house.”
Elric arrives at last at the Giants’ great long house—actually a massive ziggurat-shaped metropolis, with all kinds of city activity taking place in its galleries, between private windows and public walkways. But, save for a narrow, heavily defended causeway, there seems no way into the city, for the great lake around it boils with molten lava. Which does not concern those citizens. At the very top of the ziggurat is the Temple of the Actorios. You can see its red light burning, even in day. Giants have a distinctively Iroquois sort of look. Maybe we should save whole view of the ziggurat until next page …
ELRIC (thinks): “A lake of molten lava. With only one way to cross. Yet there’s the Actorios they prize—atop their city’s proudest point.”
Elric’s tiny in this picture, with the vast city dominating everything. Closer to foreground maybe is Sepiriz the raven—young Elric’s mentor in these dreams. Sepiriz is, of course, an omen-ous bird.
ELRIC: “No mortal can cross that!”
SEPIRIZ: “With native skill and demon’s lore
On supernatural wing’s ye’ll soar…
With sorcerous cunning and feline stealth …
A prince shall filch a giant’s wealth …
Elric is almost amused by the appearance of his familiar.
ELRIC: “There you are, Master Sepiriz. Come to give me advice. As always. I’m glad to see you.”
We see him beginning to puzzle out the spell—aha!—
ELRIC: “The flying demon! A recently learned spell …”
… and as he does so we fade to him actually doing the conjuring of the grumpy winged demon—
GRUMPY DEMON: “I do this because your spell grants you one wish of me.”
—and forcing it to take him over to the long house.
Grumbling, yet triumphant, the demon flies off, leaving Elric on the dais up to the brazier which holds the Actorios Stone, the Dragon Stone. This has awakened a huge giant who looks up and sees Elric.
DEMON: “I said I’d carry you there. I said nothing of taking you back. My bargain’s