However, in daylight and with no chance of avoiding the angered knight, Elric retaliated with all the energy he had been saving until his moment. Shield high, sword swinging, he now took the attack, surprising Roland who was evidently unused to this behavior on the part of an opponent. Stormbringer mailed as it bit into Roland's poorly-forged armour of iron, riveted with big unsightly nails, painted on the front with a dull red cross not was a scarcely adequate insignia for so famous a hero. But there was no mistaking Durandana's powers for, though seemingly as crudely forged as the armour, it did not lose its edge and threatened to bite through the Chaos Shield with every stroke. Elric's left arm was numb from the blows and his right arm ached. Lord Donblas had not lied to him when he had said that the strength of his weapons would be diminished on this world.
Roland paused, shouting something, but Elric did not heed him, seized his opportunity and rushed in to crush his shield against Roland's body. The knight reeled and staggered, his word giving off a keening note. Elric struck at a gap between Roland's helmet and gorget. The head sprang off the shoulders and rolled grotesquely away, but no blood pumped from the jugular. The eyes of the head remained open, staring at Elric.
Vivian screamed and shouted something in the same language which Roland had used. Elric stepped back; his face
grim.
«Oh, his legend, his legend! » she cried. «The only hope the people have is that Roland will some day ride once more to their aid. Now you have slain him! Fiend! »
«Possessed I may be.» he said quietly as she sobbed by the headless corpse, «but I was ordained by the gods to do this work. I'll take my leave of your drab world, now.»
«Have you no sorrow for the crime you've done?»
«None, madam, for this is only one of many such acts which, I'm told, serve some greater purpose. That I sometimes doubt the truth of this consolation need not concern you. Know you his, though, I have been told that it is the fate of such as your Roland and myself never to die-always to be reborn. Farewell.»
And he walked away from there; passed through the olive grove and the tall stones, the Horn of Fate cold against his heart.
He followed the river towards the high rock where he saw a small figure poised and, when he reached it, looked up at the young dwarf Jennays the Crooked, took the horn from his jerkin and displayed it.
Jennays chuckled. «So Roland is dead, and you, Elric, have left a fragment of a legend in this world, if it survives. Well, shall I escort you back to your own place?»
«Aye, and hurry.»
Jermays skipped down the rocks and stood beside the tall albino. «Hmm, » he mused, «that horn could prove troublesome to us. Best replace it in your jerkin and keep it covered by your shield.»
Elric obeyed the dwarf and followed him down to the banks of the strangely frozen river. It looked as if it should have been moving, but it evidently was not Jennays leapt into it and, incredibly, began to sink. «Quickly! Follow! »
Elric stepped in after him and for a moment stood on the frozen water before he, also, began to sink.
Though the stream was shallow, they continued to sink until all similarity to water was gone and they were passing down into rich darkness that became warm and heavy scented. Jennays pulled at his sleeve. «This way! » And they shot off at right angles, darting from side to side, up and down, through a maze that apparently only Jermays could ace. Against his chest, the horn seemed to heave and he pressed his shield to it Then he blinked u he found himself in the light again, staring at the great red sun throbbing in the dark blue sky. His feet were on something solid. He looked and saw that it was the Tower of B'all'nezbett. For a while longer the horn heaved as if alive, like a trapped bird, but, after some moments, it became quiescent.
Elric lowered himself to the roof and began to edge down it until he came to the gap through which he had passed earlier.
Then suddenly he looked up as he heard a noise in the sky. There, his feet planted on air, stood grinning Jermays the Crooked. «I’ll be passing on, for I like not this world at all.» He chuckled. «It has been a pleasure to have had a part in this. Goodbye, Sir Champion. Remember me, the unfinished one, to the Lords of the Higher World - and perhaps you could hint to them that the sooner they improve their memories or else their creative powers, the sooner I shall be happy.»
Elric said: «Perhaps you'd best be content with your lot, Jermays. There are disadvantages to stability, too.»
Jermays shrugged and vanished.
Slowly, all but spent, Elric descended the fractured wall and, with great relief, reached the first stair to stumble down the rest and run back to the tower of D'a'rputna with the news of his success.
Four
The three thoughtful men left the city and went down to the Dragon Caves. On a new silver chain, the Horn of Fate was slung around Elric’s neck. He was dressed in black leather, with his head unprotected save for a golden circlet not kept his hair from his eyes. Stormbringer scabbarded at his side, the Chaos Shield on his back, he led his companions into the grottoes, to come eventually to the slumbering bulk of Flamefang the Dragon Leader. His lungs seemed to have insufficient capacity as he drew air into them and grasped the horn. Then he glanced at his friends, who regarded him expectantly, straddled his legs slightly and blew with all his strength into the horn.
The note sounded, deep and sonorous, and as it reverberated through the caverns, he felt all his vitality draining from him. Weaker and weaker he became until he sank to his knees, the horn still at his lips, the note failing, his vision dimming, his limbs shaking, and then he sprawled face down on the rock, the horn clattering beside him.
Moonglum dashed towards him and gasped as he saw the bulk of the leading dragon stir and one huge, unblinking eye, as cold as the northern wastes, stare at him.
Dyvim Storm yelled jubilantly: «Flamefang! Brother Flamefang, you wake! »
All about him he saw the other dragons stirring also, shaking their wings and straightening their slender necks, ruffling their horny crests. Moonglum felt smaller than usual as the dragons wakened. He began to feel nervous of the huge beasts, wondering how they would respond to the presence of one who was not a Dragon Master. Then he remembered the enervated albino and knelt beside Elric, touching his leathern-covered shoulder.
«Elric! D'you live?»
Elric groaned and tried to turn over onto his back. Moonglum helped him sit upright
«I’m weak, Moonglum - so weak I can't rise. The horn took all my energy! »
«Draw your sword-it will supply what you need.»
Elric shook his head. «I'll take your advice, though I doubt whether you're right this time. That hero I slew must have been soulless, or else his soul was well-protected, for I gained nothing from him.»