For a month, Elric had been riding the length and breadth of the eastern kingdoms of Ilmiora and Vilmir, overseeing preparations, building the strength of the two nations into an efficient war machine.
Now he studied parchments handed him by his lieutenants and, recalling all the old tactical skill of his ancestors, gave them his decisions.
The sun set and heavy black clouds hung against a sharp, metallic blue sky, stretching over the horizon. Elric loosened his cloak strings and allowed the folds of the garment to enclose him, for a chill had come. Then, as he silently regarded the sky to the west, he frowned as he noticed something like a flashing golden star appear, moving swiftly towards him.
Ever wary for signs of the coming of Chaos, he turned in his saddle shouting:
«Every man to his position! Ware the golden globe! »
The thing approached rapidly until soon, it was hanging over the city, all men looking up at it in astonishment, their hands on their weapons. As black night fell, the clouds admitting no moonlight, the globe began to fall towards the spires of Bakshaan, a strange luminescence pulsing from it. Elric tugged Stormbringer from its scabbard and black fire nickered along the blade as it gave out a low moaning sound. The globe touched the cobbles of the city-square-broke into a million fragments that glowed for a moment before vanishing.
Elric laughed in relief, resheathing Stormbringer as he saw who now stood in the place of the golden globe.
«Sepiriz, my friend. You choose strange means of transport to carry you from the Gorge of Nihrain.»
The tall, black-faced seer smiled, his white pointed steed pranced. «I have so few carriages of that type, that I must only use them when pressed. I come with news for you, much news.»
«I hope it is good, for we have enough had to last us forever.»
«It is mixed. Where can we converse in private?»
«My headquarters are in yonder mansion, » Elric pointed at a richly decorated house on the far side of the square.
Inside, Elric poured yellow wine for his guest Kelos the merchant, whose house this was, had not accepted the requisitioning altogether willingly and, partly because of this, Elric maliciously made free with all Kelos's best
Sepiriz took the goblet and sipped the strong wine.
«Have you succeeded in contacting the White Lords yet, Sepiriz?» Elric asked.
«We have.»
'Thank the gods. Are they willing to give their aid to us?»
«They have always been so willing-but they have not yet made a sufficient breach in the protection that Chaos has set up around the planet However, the fact that I have at last managed to contact them is a better sign than any we've had these past months.»
«So-the news is good.» Elric said cheerfully.
«Not altogether. Jagreen Lern's fleet has set sail again and they bead towards the eastern continent, with thousands of ships-and supernatural allies, too.»
«It was only what I expected, Sepiriz. My work's done here, anyway, I'll ride for the Isle of the Purple Towns at once, for I must lead the fleet against Jagreen Lern.»
«Your chances of winning will be all but non-existent. Elric.» Sepiriz warned him gravely. «Have you heard of the Shysof Hellr»
«I've heard of them-do they not sail the depths of the sea, taking on board dead mariners as crews?»
«They do-they're things of Chaos and far larger than even the largest mortal warship. You'd never withstand teem, even if you did not have the Theocrat fleet to fight as well.»
'Tm aware the fight will be hard, Sepiriz - but what else can we do? I have a weapon against Chaos in my blade here. «Not enough, not bodkin-you still have no protection against Chaos. That is what I have to tell you about-a personal armament for yourself to help you in your struggle, though you'll have to win it from its present possessor.»
«Who possesses it?»
«A giant who broods in eternal misery in a great castle on the edge of the world, beyond the Signing Desert. His name is Mordaga who was once a god but is now made mortal for sins he committed against his fellow gods long ages ago.»
«Mortal? Yet he has lived so long?»
«Aye. Mordaga is mortal-though his life-span is considerably longer than an ordinary man's. He is obsessed with the knowledge that he must one day die. This is what saddens him.»
«And the weapon?»
«Not a weapon exactly - but a shield. A shield with a purpose-one that Mordaga had made for himself when he raised a rebellion in the domain of the gods and sought to make himself greatest of the gods and even wrest the Eternal Balance from the One Who Holds It. For this he was banished to Earth and informed that he would one day die slain by a mortal blade. The shield, as you might guess, is proof against the workings of Chaos.»
«How does it do this?» Elric asked curiously.
«The chaotic forces, if powerful enough, can disrupt any defence made of lawful matter; no construction based on the principles of order can withstand for long the ravages of beer chaos, as we know.»
«Stormbringer has shown you not the only weapon effective against Chaos is something of Chaos-manufacture. The same can be said for the Chaos Shield. This itself is chaotic in nature and therefore there is nothing organised in it on which the random forces can act and destroy. It meets Chaos with Chaos, and so the hostile powers are subverted.»
«I see. If I had only had such a shield of late, things might have gone better for us all»
«I could not tell you of it. As I have mentioned, I am merely the servant of Fate and cannot act unless it is sanctioned by my masters. Perhaps as I have guessed they are willing to see Chaos sweep the world before it is defeated-if it is ever defeated-so that it can completely change the nature of our planet before the new cycle begins. Change it will-but whether it will be ruled in the future primarily by Law or Chaos-that is in your hands, Elric! »
«I'm becoming used to the burden my friend. How would I recognise this shield?»
«By the eight-arrowed Sign of Chaos which radiates from its boss. It is a heavy, round shield, made as a buckler for a giant. But, with the vitality you receive from that runesword there, you will have the strength to carry it, have no fear. But first you must have the courage to win it from its current holder, Mordaga is aware of the prophecy, told him by his fellow gods before they cast him forth.»
«Are you, too, aware of it?»
«I am. In our language it forms a simple rhyme:
«Four men? Who are the other three?»
«Those you will know of when the time comes for you to seek the Chaos Shield. Which will you do? Go to the Purple Towns-or will you go to find the shield?»
«I wish that I had the time to embark on a quest of that kind, but I have not. I must go to rally my men, shield or no.»
«You will be defeated.»
«We shall see, Sepiriz.»
«Very well, Elric. Since so little of your destiny is in your own hands, we should allow you to take Just one decision at times, » Sepiriz smiled sympathetically.
«Fate is kind, » Elric commented ironically. He rose from his seal «I’ll begin the Journey straightway, for there's no time to lose.»