Elric of Melnibone - Michael Moorcock [18]
‘’Ware boarders!’ Elric shouted, long after he might have warned his crew. ‘Barbarians attack.’
He saw Yyrkoon whirl round, see the situation, and rush down the steps from the bridge. ‘You stay there, my lord king,’ he flung at Elric as he disappeared. ‘You are plainly too weary to fight.’
And Elric summoned all that was left of his strength and stumbled after his cousin, to help in the defense of the ship.
The barbarians were not fighting for their lives—they knew those to be taken already. They were fighting for their pride. They wanted to take one Melnibonéan ship down with them and that ship must be the flagship itself. It was hard to be contemptuous of such men. They knew that even if they took the flagship the other ships of the golden fleet would soon overwhelm them.
But the other ships were still some distance away. Many lives would be lost before they reached the flagship.
On the lowest deck Elric found himself facing a pair of tall barbarians, each armed with a curved blade and a small, oblong shield. He lunged forward, but his armour seemed to drag at his limbs, his own shield and sword were so heavy that he could barely lift them. Two swords struck his helm, almost simultaneously. He lunged back and caught a man in the arm, rammed the other with his shield. A curved blade clanged on his backplate and he all but lost his footing. There was choking smoke everywhere, and heat, and the tumult of battle. Desperately he swung about him and felt his broadsword bite deep into flesh. One of his opponents fell, gurgling, with blood spouting from his mouth and nose. The other lunged. Elric stepped backwards, fell over the corpse of the man he had slain, and went down, his broadsword held out before him in one hand. And as the triumphant barbarian leapt forward to finish the albino, Elric caught him on the point of the broadsword, running him through. The dead man fell towards Elric who did not feel the impact, for he had already fainted. Not for the first time had his deficient blood, no longer enriched by drugs, betrayed him.
He tasted salt and thought at first it was blood. But it was sea water. A wave had risen over the deck and momentarily revived him. He struggled to crawl from under the dead man and then he heard a voice he recognised. He twisted his head and looked up.
Prince Yyrkoon stood there. He was grinning. He was full of glee at Elric’s plight. Black, oily smoke still drifted everywhere, but the sounds of the fight had died.
‘Are—are we victorious, cousin?’ Elric spoke painfully.
‘Aye. The barbarians are all dead now. We are about to sail for Imrryr.’
Elric was relieved. He would begin to die soon if he could not get to his store of potions.
His relief must have been evident, for Yyrkoon laughed. ‘It is as well the battle did not last longer, my lord, or we should have been without our leader.’
‘Help me up, cousin.’ Elric hated to ask Prince Yyrkoon any favour, but he had no choice. He stretched out his empty hand. ‘I am fit enough to inspect the ship.’
Yyrkoon came forward as if to take the hand, but then he hesitated, still grinning. ‘But, my lord, I disagree. You will be dead by the time this ship turns eastward again.’
‘Nonsense. Even without the drugs I can live for a considerable time, though movement is difficult. Help me up, Yyrkoon, I command you.’
‘You cannot command me, Elric. I am emperor now, you see.’
‘Be wary, cousin. I can overlook such treachery, but others will not. I shall be forced to...’
Yyrkoon swung his legs over Elric’s body and went to the rail. Here were bolts which fixed one section of the rail in place when it was not used for the gangplank. Yyrkoon slowly released the bolts and kicked the section of rail into the water.
Now Elric’s efforts to free himself became more desperate. But he could hardly move at all.
Yyrkoon,