Elric in the Dream Realms - Michael Moorcock [117]
Elric whirls—hearing a sound behind him. And here come a whole host of barbarians, of the same kind as Yyrkoon led…
ELRIC: “Barbarians. Look to your sword, cousin!”
Elric and Dyvim Mar are swiftly embroiled in a heavy fight. Their swordsmanship is superior to that of the barbarians’ but there are a lot more barbarians …
Slowly but surely the barbarians get the upper hand.
Elric and Dyvim Mar are dragged before the two leaders of the barbarians—Yyrkoon and Agras Ti.
AGRAS TI: “Melnibonéans! Spying on us. Do you know them, Wild Dog?”
YYRKOON/WILD DOG: “I’ve told you. My memory fails me in some ways. But that’s a silver warrior—like me, he’s of noble birth—perhaps a prince of the line—only certain emperors and their blood have that pallour and those ruby eyes. We have a fine prize, Agras Ti.”
Elric and Dyvim Mar, chained and thrown into a glass-sided cage on wheels, become part of the barbarians advance as a seashore comes in sight. Again, there are beached boats far up above the waterline, indicating that the ocean has receded. Wild Dog and Agras Ti bring their troops to a halt and rest on their saddle pommels looking away to sea.
WILD DOG: “Beyond that ocean lies Melniboné. Once the sea was her friend and she was impregnable. Now she’ll fall like a ripe apple into our hands. All we must do is wait a little for the sea to recede. Then we attack.”
AGRAS TI: “You’re sure her dragons sleep and cannot harm us?”
WILD DOG: “We have over a year before they can wake the mass of dragons. By that time we shall control both the city and, through me, the dragons, for we speak a common tongue. And through Melniboné’s dragons—the whole world shall be ours!”
A raven appears and flies towards the cage of transparent obsidian where Elric and Dyvim Mar are imprisoned.
It comes to perch on a tree, watching the sun set.
In the firelight, the raven hops down from the tree to where a guard relaxes, his keys on the ground beside him.
Miraculously the raven manages to separate a key from the ring and fly off with it.
The raven flies to the cage where a miserable Elric and Dyvim Mar sit talking in their cage.
DYVIM MAR: “So that’s their plan. They must know why the waters are falling so quickly. Perhaps their sorcery is the cause? But if we cannot warn our people, they lack the resources to resist such a powerful army. The sea has always been our best defense…”
Elric notices the raven hopping through the bars, the key in its beak. He frowns.
ELRIC: “Sorcery, you say? And what’s this?”
RAVEN: “This is all I can do for you now. Later, perhaps, I will be able to help more. But Chaos rules this whole realm and my magic’s not yet strong enough to fight it. A boat awaits you on the shore. Use it to warn your people of their danger.”
DYVIM MAR: “A loquacious bird. And a useful one. Is he yours, White Crow? Or merely some relative?”
Elric is already unlocking his manacles.
He completes the job and passes the key to Dyvim Mar.
ELRIC: “Perhaps he is my totem, I do not know. Let’s not question our fortune. Let’s find that boat and warn the queen.”
They make it to the shore and see the little skiff waiting for them.
They sail into the sunrise. The raven watches from his perch on a rock.
Elric and Dyvim Mar have a good wind behind them and they can see the slender buildings of Melniboné in the distance.
DYVIM MAR: “There! Imrryr’s in sight! Now at last we can ready ourselves for the barbarian attack!”
But now the sea begins to swirl and tremble. Soon it turns into strange, half-recognizable shapes. The two men stare around them in dismay as the sea around the boat forms itself into a giant watery hand and begins to lift them—
—then the massive, fishy face of King Straasha, the king of the water ele-mentals, materializes above them. He holds the boat in the palm of his hand. His other hand holds a great fishing spear. He is in poor temper and glares down at the two tiny mortals and their boat. But he is also sad. He is reluctant to interfere. It seems something might even control