Angaraks and the soldiers of the West stood in amaze as they beheld
blows which no mortal might withstand, for the sword of Torak,
dread Cthrek-Goru, clave rocks, and the great grey sword of Brand
shattered earth. And knew then the multitudes that they beheld not
the combat of men but the contention of Gods, and then were they
sore afraid.
But the fury of Torak might not be withstood by flesh, and dread
Cthrek-Goru did cleave and batter the shield of Brand, and the
Warder fell back before the onslaught of the Accursed One. Then
howled the grizzled wolf and then shrieked the snowy owl as in one
voice that struck the ears of the watchers as it were a human voice,
and the strength of Brand was renewed.
AND BEHOLD:
The Rivan Warder did unveil his shield, and lo, cast in the center
thereof stood a round jewel. Grey it was and like unto the size of the
heart of a child. And in the presence of Torak did the stone begin to
glow. And brighter and brighter flamed the stone, and the Accursed
One fell back before the stone, as one who faces unbearable fire. And
shook away Torak his shield, and dropped he away his sword,
Cthrek-Goru, and cried out and raised he his hands before his face to
ward away the fire of the stone. And his right hand covered his right
eye, but lo, the maimed God had no left hand, and the stump thereof
was blackened by a fire no mortal had yet endured. And Brand then
struck. Two-handed held he his nameless grey sword as a man
might hold a dagger, and plunged he the grey sword not at chest
armor nor gorget – for knew he that a God may not be smitten save
where he hath been injured before. Struck Brand, therefore, at the
Eye that was not. And behold, the point of Brand’s sword struck true
and did pierce the visor of the Accursed One and passed even into
the Eye that was not.
And Torak cried out and grasped the sword and plucked it out
and cast it away. Then pulled the God his helm away and cast it
aside also. and men saw the seared side of his face which had been
marred when he had raised the Orb of Aldur to crack the world.
And that face was horrible beyond power to describe it, and the
Angaraks recoiled, and the men of the West turned away. And the
eye of Torak was seen to weep blood, and raised he up and pushed
his arms even into the sky and cried out again. And cried he out one
last time as he beheld that jewel which he had named Cthrag-Yaska
and which had caused him to be smitten again, and then, as a tree
hewn away at the ground, the Dark God fell, and the earth
resounded with his fall.
And a great cry went up from the Host by reason of the fall of the
Accursed One, and the Angaraks despaired, for their God had
fallen. Then fell the armies of the West upon the multitudes of the
Host and slew them. And the armies of the Murgos upon the left and
of the Thulls and the Nadraks upon the right fled into the river that
they might save their lives. But swift is the River Arend at Vo
Mimbre, and deep, and the waters swallowed them.up. Few only
escaped the waters and gained the far shore to flee back through the
wilderness to the east. For the hordes of the Malloreans, however,
was there no escape, for the armies of the West encircled them, and
they were slain – yea, even unto the last man. For Behold, the armies
of the West bore torches with them, and when dusky night laid his
mantle of darkness upon the plain before the city set they the
torches ablaze that no Mallorean might escape their vengeance. And
the watchers within the city wept and came forth to beseech the
armies to abate the killings, so great was their pity for the
Malloreans. But grim-faced Brand, Warder of Riva and overgeneral
of all the armies of the West, hardened his heart against their pleas
and abated not the slaughter.
And he spake, saying, ‘No more! No more will Angaraks
come into the West. No seed nor root shall escape this cleansing.,
And in the night when the torches had burned low, came forth the
scale-armored warriors of Ulgo and sought out the wounded and
slew them. And none escaped, for indeed, from the warriors of Ulgo
is nothing hidden in the dark.
And when the smoky dawn arose upon the fourth day, the Host
was no more, and the multitudes of the slain were lain in heaps
upon the plain before the city – yea, as far as the eye could see, the
ruin of Angarak did litter the fair plain.
And Brand spake, saying, ‘Bring unto me the body of the Accursed
One whom I have slain that I might behold Him who would be King
and God of all the world.’
But lo! The body of maimed Torak was not to be found among the
slain. For it had come to pass that in the night Zedar the Sorcerer
who sat ever at the right hand of Kal-Torak had cast an enchantment
and had passed unseen through the armies of the West, past Sendar
and Tolnedran, past Arend and Drasnian, past Algar and Cherek,
past grim-faced Rivan and cat-eyed Ulgo and haa borne away the
body of the maimed God.
And Brand was troubled and took counsel with his two closest
advisers, the grizzled old man whose name none knew and the
dark-haired woman with the silver-touched brow who strode
through the camp as she were Queen of the World. And between
them they cast auguries and were troubled, and the aged man spake,
saying, ‘Behold, Warder of Riva, thine enemy hath escaped thee.
Torak is not dead, but sleeps only and will arise again.’
And Brand spake, saying, ‘He is slain. The nameless sword I bear
hath bereft him of life. None may withstand such a stroke as the
Accursed One was dealt.’
And the aged man spake, saying, ‘Be not over-proud, Warder of
Riva. Torak, King and God of the Angaraks, is not of mortal kind.
He is a God – a dark God and an evil ‘ but a God nonetheless.
No stroke by mortal weapon, though it pierce his very heart, may
slay him. Even now hath Belzedar, the traitor, borne him away and
concealed him lest we find him and chain him against his
awakening.
And Brand was chastened by the words of his counselor, and he
spake, saying, ‘And when will the Dark God awaken? I must know
that I might prepare the kingdoms of the West against his return.’
And the woman spake, saying, ‘When once again a King of the
Line of Riva sits upon his northern throne; when the fire of Aldur’s
Orb is rekindled by his touch and the halls of the Rivan King are
filled with the light of that Orb, then will the Dark God awaken
and come forth from his sleep to do war against the West and
against the Rivan King. And then it shall come to pass that they shall
meet – even as thou and Torak have met, and one shall slay the
other, and the fate of the world shall be decided by that meeting.’
And Brand spake, saying, ‘But the line of Riva is no more, and the
halls of the Rivan King are dark and unused. How shall the line be
renewed when it lies dead? How may a dead tree bear fruit? And if
Torak be a God as thou has said, how may even the great sword of
the Rivan King overcome him?’
And the woman answered him, saying, ‘The dead tree hath
borne its fruit, and the seeds thereof have lain concealed many
centuries and will for many more. When the time has come, he
will arise to claim his own, and the fire of Aldur’s Orb will be
kindled in rejoicing as a sign unto thy people that their King has
returned.’
‘And know,’ quoth the aged man, ‘the Sword of the Rivan King is
not a mortal weapon. Aldur’s Orb which is its pommel-stone is the
creation of the God Aldur, and the two stars which fell and were
forged by Riva to make the hilts and the blade were sent by the God
Belar, and behold, the Spirits of the two Gods are in the Sword. With
that Sword may Torak One-eye be overthrown – and with that
Sword only.’
‘But the Sword hangs upon the great black rock at the back of the
throne in Riva,’ quoth Brand. ‘The Orb which thou didst command
that I put in this shield is no longer attached thereunto. The