Elric Swords and Roses - Michael Moorcock [135]
68. Ext. Paphanal harbour. Day.
Fireballs land on the city. Everything blazes. For the first time we get a sight of a helmeted Eldren, looking up alertly as the fire comes down. We hear the man shout an order.
69. Ext. Sea. Day.
Jarak turns to Urlik on the bridge. He points towards Paphanal.
JARAK: “The Eldren fleet attacks!” (Jarak yells to his men.) “Stand by! Stand by! Enemy attacking!”
Belphig seems satisfied, however.
BELPHIG: “As I predicted, the Water Demons grow weaker.”
70. Ext. Sea. Day.
The delicate Eldren craft are riding through the water. As they come towards the human fleet the Water Demons do, indeed, begin to fade. The Eldren fleet passes through them as if they were smoke.
71. Ext. Ship. Day.
An Eldren ship sails close to the flagship. Eldren archers and lancers hurl their missiles into the flagship. Urlik narrowly misses an arrow in his arm. We catch glimpses of silvery Eldren helmets as the men of the flagship prepare to clash with the Eldren.
72. Ext. Ship. Day.
The Eldren grappling irons thud into the flagship’s timbers and Urlik sends Iolinda below as he goes to help in the defense of the ship. Meliadus remains on the bridge. Urlik joins Jarak just as the Eldren swing aboard.
73. Ext. Ship. Day.
Two Eldren warriors swing from the trailing rigging and land directly before Jarak and Urlik. The Eldren have long-hafted war-axes which whistle as they whirl through the air. Urlik ducks a blade. He seems reluctant to draw the Black Sword. Jarak, now engaged with his opponent, shouts at him.
JARAK: “You’ll need your sword now—no time for scruples!”
Urlik flashes a sardonic look at Jarak and tugs the Black Sword free. Immediately the singing begins and the sword glows with unearthly radiance. Urlik weighs in with it and again it seems to have a life of its own as the two Eldren go down before it.
74. Ext. Ship. Day.
The Eldren keep coming. Although more delicate in appearance than the humans, they have enormous courage and tenacity and we see them fighting bravely, against overwhelming odds, in all parts of the ship. We see little of their faces, because of their helmets, but they have a slightly Oriental appearance. Urlik and Jarak fight shoulder to shoulder, leading their men into the fighting. The Black Sword howls and time after time it cuts down the Eldren warriors. Urlik yells at Jarak as they fight.
URLIK: “Demons maybe—but they fight bravely!”
JARAK: “If it weren’t for their sorcery, I’d relish this war with them!”
75. Ext. Ship. Day.
Suddenly all activity stops as they realize that all the Eldren are dead—save one. Panting, he is cornered near Meliadus’s cabin. His war-axe is broken off at the haft. He has the appearance of a brave, desperate deer. Urlik confronts him. From the bridge Meliadus yells.
MELIADUS: “Kill him quickly—before he has a chance to work more magic!”
Urlik ignores Meliadus. He tries to put up the Black Sword.
ELDREN WARRIOR: “Aye—kill me. I’ve no taste for life now Paphanal burns. Oh, you are treacherous, you humans. Why attack us? We did not threaten you!”
URLIK: “I’ll not kill a defenseless man …”
MELIADUS: “Strike!”
Urlik makes to sheathe his sword, but it twists in his hand and plunges at the Eldren, killing him.
URLIK: “The sword—it kills against my will …”
Jarak steps forward, speaking urgently.
JARAK: “Sheathe it! It lusts for death, that blade …”
Urlik sheathes the sword. Meliadus looks greedily towards Paphanal.
MELIADUS: “Now Paphanal is ours. Let’s inspect our prize …”
76. Ext. Paphanal. Day.
Heavy smoke drifts across the scene. We see figures moving in it—Meliadus, Belphig, Urlik, Iolinda, Jarak and their captains … the outlines of ruined masonry—small fires flickering—for these are the ruins of once-beautiful Paphanal. As the conquering humans swagger in, some Eldren women and children scuttle away in terror. An appalling silence hangs over the scene. They enter a wide plaza, ruined by the