Elric in the Dream Realms - Michael Moorcock [123]
ELRIC: “The dragons begin to wake. But how do we restore the oceans?”
SHYRIX’X: “Wild Dog planned to trade me not only for water, but for the sea-king’s sister, whom Artigkern holds captive.”
ELRIC: “If Artigkern sees us coming in force, he’ll know we plan to trick him. He’ll spit the world’s water into the sun and we’ll all die of thirst …”
DYVIM MAR: “And no doubt kill the sea-king’s sister.”
ELRIC: “Then here’s what we must risk …”
Artigkern, as large as a large island, glistening and bulging with all the water he has drunk, still keeps the sea-kings sister in the shell he has created for her.
ARTIGKERN: “The mortal’s a fool if he thinks I’ll give up satisfying my thirst for a fresh bride, no matter how beautiful. I’ll take the new woman he offers, but if I give up the sea-king’s sister he’ll take his vengeance on me if he can …”
Elric, dressed like Yyrkoon, comes riding a deep-sided wagon over the drained ocean floor escorting an apparently bound and gagged Queen Shyrixx. It’s the same wagon he and Dyvim Mar were trapped in earlier.
ELRIC: “My Lord of Chaos! I come to keep our bargain. You will give me a ration of water and the sea-king’s sister, and I’ll give thee this mortal woman.”
ARTIGKERN: “‘Tis a bargain. Bring her closer.”
Elric, driving the wagon, approaches the impossibly huge bulk of the Chaos Lord.
As he gets close to where the sea-king’s sister wallows in melancholy in her half-open shell, he whips up the horses!
ELRIC: “Faster, faster! Ha! Ya!”
The draperies on the wagon fall back to reveal a near-transparent obsidian tank of water and Queen Shyrixx throws back her cloak to reveal she’s not bound. With a war-axe she smashes the clam shell, releasing the sea-kings sister and then half-hauls her into the tank of water the wagon is drawing.
SHYRIX’X: “Quickly, my lady—we must not hesitate!”
Artigkern makes to reach towards them to stop them—then looks to the horizon.
ARTIGKERN: “What’s this?”
Over the horizon pours a huge flight of Phoorn dragons. (Inset is Dyvim Mar, with his long dragon-goad in his hand, riding the leading Phoorn.)
Suddenly the sky is black with dragons.
As the wagon hauls away, the first dragons dive on Artigkern, their venom striking his swollen body—and piercing the skin … bursting him so that water erupts from every wound…
… and Elric and Queen Shyrixx, hauling the sea-king’s sister, are pursued by a vast tidal wave of water released from Artigkern …
… which overwhelms them so it seems they must drown …The horses fight for their lives. Elric slashes their harness …
… until Dyvim Mar swoops down on the dragon to rescue Queen Shyrixx…
… and the sea-king’s sister, in open water now, catches up Elric and the horses, swimming with them to a high hill which is swiftly becoming an island …
… whereupon Straasha the Sea-King, clearly delighting in his watery kingdom again, comes swimming towards them to embrace his sister…
STRAASHA: “Against all odds you’ve kept your promise, mortal—henceforth thy people and mine shall be allied and I shall be forever in thy debt! Your nation shall prosper and become the strongest in the world!”
In the distance, heading for Melniboné, Dyvim Mar and Queen Shyrixx wave farewell from the back of the dragon.
ELRIC: “And sweet Melniboné shall know peace and security again …”
In the dream chamber Elric stirs and wakes. He looks pretty wasted, but he’s smiling as he’s greeted with relief by Tanglebones and Cymoril, who hands him his reviving potion.
CYMORIL: “Thank Arioch! You survived!”
TANGLEBONES: “Another dream-quest accomplished. Another lesson learned. Welcome back, young master!”
Elric swings off the couch and begins to stride for the door. They follow him, puzzled.
He enters another dream chamber where Yyrkoon is also coming to. But Yyrkoon does not look at all happy. He glares at his cousin. He strikes away the offered potion.
YYRKOON: “So you wake, cousin. You still live … I recall—I recall—it was not a pleasant dream …”
ELRIC: “For my part, cousin, I’m feeling all the better for my long