Elric in the Dream Realms - Michael Moorcock [113]
VARNIK: “Thanks, brother! The conjunction is almost over. There is so little time left if we’re to bring our people through …”
Out of sight of their camp, Varnik hurries out to a great slab of rock the same as the one Elric encountered “earlier.” Other members of his tribe stand ready, uncertain, cheering as he holds up the black blade, with the Actorios in it, red runes rippling the length of that supernatural steel. Varnik takes a run at it and, calling out runes, brings the blade against the rock—which splits—KRAK (because I know you’ll put one in, Walter :))… This rock goes on splitting—it splits upwards, then it splits the land, then the sky and through this sky, from the universe in which they have been trapped, fly the Phoorn—the great dragon brothers and sisters of the Mernii, who will one day be known as the Melnibonéans. It is DRAGONS, DRAGONS, DRAGONS… The human figures are thoroughly dwarfed by these huge beasts.
VARNIK: “The Phoorn! Blood-kin to our folk!”
The dragons fly down—down towards the great underground cave-system revealed by the fissure in the rock. There we see the same underground lake around which the dragons were settled earlier.
As one dragon passes he speaks to White Crow. The dragon is Flamefang, one of the oldest of the Phoorn.
FLAMEFANG: “Brother, in a million years… Flamefang will not have forgotten your help.”
White Crow can only acknowledge the words, but not answer, he is so astonished at what has happened.
But White Crow has not forgotten his promise to King Grome. As the dragons continue to come through, Elric reaches his hand for the black blade.
ELRIC: “Now give me the blade. We must keep our promise to Grome!”
With the dwarves at his back, Elric gives the sword into Gromes keeping.
GROME: “You have done well, young silverskin. You can rely upon my help whenever your need is great.”
GROME: “And I’ll return this burdensome blade to the black rock which birthed it. It is cursed and would doom us all.”
GROME: “Ready your folk. I will give them back their ships!”
Elric and Varnik are standing on the flanks of the hill, just below the tent town of Elric’s people. A great gathering. Some distance off, pulling himself up out of the ground, comes King Grome, hating the sunlight. He has two ships—one under each huge earthy arm.
GROME: “Here’re the first two. Hmmm. Ye’ll need something to float ‘em on … Best get to higher ground.”
Now we see King Grome at full strength—raising the Mernii ships from deep underground where he had dragged them—so that they come bursting up through the earth—while creating an island out of the camp and the mountain it sits on, so that sea runs around it and the ships are floated, like so many toys, by his huge, earthy hands…
GROME: “So now Pukwadji and Mernii will live in peace by my decree! I have rewarded you well for keeping your bargain with me. Let us all prosper.”
And so began the history of Melniboné …
White Crow fades discreetly back into the frame which shows Elric asleep on the dream couch.
Tanglebones and Cymoril greet Elric as Tanglebones gives Elric the potion as usual.
Tanglebones watches helplessly as Elric tosses the cup aside, puts his arm around Cymoril’s shoulders and strides away.
TANGLEBONES: “You must rest, study …”
ELRIC: “Farewell, Master Tanglebones. We have old friends to visit…”
Main picture is Elric, Cymoril and Dyvim Tvar in Dragon Caves. Elric is communicating in runic with the old dragon we saw earlier. Cymoril and Dyvim Tvar (holding dragon lance which resembles the black blade in length and style but is fashioned into a tall spear, with a blue stone glowing where the haft meets the blade).
ELRIC: (in runic).
FLAMEFANG: (also in runic).
CYMORIL: “Now he speaks the language of the Phoorn!”
DYVIM TVAR: “I told you. Phoorn is not learned—it’s remembered …”
Inset has King Sadric with Tanglebones:
SADRIC: “He’s passed the first great test. But does he have the character to pass the next?”
Then final inset is Yyrkoon with Arisand, whose