Elric_ The Sleeping Sorceress - Michael Moorcock [65]
In horror Elric directed the metal bird downwards. And at last Theleb K’aarna saw him and reined in his horse, his eyes wide with fear and rage. “You are dead! You are dead!”
The great wings beat at the air as the bird hovered over Theleb K’aarna’s head. “I am alive, Theleb K’aarna—and I come to destroy you at long last! Give Myshella up to me.”
A cunning expression came over the sorcerer’s face. “No. Destroy me and she is also destroyed. Beings of Pio—turn your full strength against Tanelorn. Raze it utterly and show this fool what we can do!”
Each of the reptilian riders directed their oddly shaped weapons at Tanelorn where Rackhir, Moonglum and the rest waited on the battlements.
“No!” shouted Elric. “You cannot—”
There was something flashing on the battlements. They were unfurling at last the banners of bronze. And as each banner was unfurled a pure golden light blazed out from it until there was a vast wall of light stretching the whole length of the defenses, making it impossible to see the banners themselves or the men who held them. The beings of Pio aimed their weapons and released streams of fire at the barrier of light which immediately repelled them.
Theleb K’aarna’s face was suffused with anger. “What is this? Our earthly sorcery cannot stand against the power of Pio!”
Elric smiled savagely. “This is not our sorcery—it is another sorcery which can resist that of Pio! Now, Theleb K’aarna, give up Myshella!”
“No! You are not protected as Tanelorn is protected. Beings of Pio—destroy him!”
And, as the weapons began to be directed at him, Elric flung the first of the arrows of quartz. It flew true—directly into the face of the leading reptilian rider. A high whining escaped the rider’s throat as it raised its webbed hands towards the arrow embedded in its eye. The beast the rider sat upon reared, for it was plain that it was only barely controlled. It turned away from the blinding light, from Tanelorn, and it galloped at earth-shaking speed away into the desert, the dead rider falling from its back. A streak of fire barely missed Elric and he was forced to take the bird up higher, flinging down another arrow and seeing it strike a rider’s heart. Again the mount went out of control and followed its companion into the desert. But there were ten more of the riders and each now turned his weapon against Elric, though finding it hard to aim as all the mounts grew restive and sought to accompany the two who had fled. Elric left it to the metal bird to duck and to dive through the criss-cross of beams and he hurled down another arrow and another. His clothes and his hair were singed and he remembered another time when he had ridden the bird across the Boiling Sea. Part of the bird’s right wing-tip had been melted and its flight was a little more erratic. But still it climbed and dived and still Elric threw the arrows of quartz into the ranks of the beings of Pio. Then, suddenly, there were only two left and they were turning to flee, for nearby a cloud of unpleasant blue smoke had begun to erupt where Theleb K’aarna had been. Elric flung the last arrows after the reptiles of Pio and took each rider in the back. Now there were only corpses upon the sand.
The blue smoke cleared and Theleb K’aarna’s horse stood there. And there was another corpse revealed. It was that of Myshella, Empress of the Dawn, and her throat had been cut. Theleb K’aarna had vanished, doubtless with the aid of sorcery.
Sickened, Elric descended on the bird of metal. On the walls of Tanelorn the light faded. He dismounted and he saw that the bird was weeping dark tears from its emerald eyes. He knelt beside Myshella.
An ordinary mortal could not have done it, but now she opened her lips and she spoke, though blood bubbled from her mouth