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army is assaulted on the front and on the left and on the right, and
lo, now from out the forest behind thee come Asturians and Sendars
and them whom most you hate - the keepers of Cthrag-Yaska. Yea,
Lord, the Rivans themselves have come to contend with thine host
and to cast their defiance in thy teeth.'
Then was the Accursed One wroth, and rose he and called upon
his servants to arm him. And he spake unto Zedar the Sorcerer,
saying, 'Behold, Zedar, I will come forth, that the keepers of
Cthrag-Yaska may see me and be afraid. I will raise up mine hand
against them and they shall crumble as dry leaves before me. Send
unto me the Kings of the Angaraks that I may tell them of my
coming.'
And Zedar answered him, saying, 'Behold, Great Lord, the Kings
of the Angaraks are no more. King Ad Rak Cthoros of the Murgos
lies dead with a hook-pointed Ulgo knife in his bowels. And Yar Lek
Thun of the Nadraks perished upon the point of a Tolnedran sword,
and Gethel Mardu, King of the Thulls. is cloven - hehn to chest - by
a Cherek war-axe. And behold, the sons of the Kings also are no
more and the generals of the Malloreans also, and there is confusion
in the Host by reason of the deaths of the Kings and the sons of the
Kings and the generals of the Malloreans, and of the multitudes of
the Grolims also.'
And great was the wrath of the Accursed One, and fire was in his
right eye and also in the eye that was not, and caused he his servants
to bind his shield to his maimed arm, and took he up his dread black
sword, Cthrek-Goru, and went forth from his iron pavilion to do
war.
And behold, the Host rallied around him who was both King and
God, and pushed they back against the Drasnians and Algars and
Ulgos upon the left and against the Tolnedrans and Chereks upon
the right, and tightened they the ring of swords about the Mimbrate
Knights before the gates of the city'
And there came from the north the sound of a great horn, and
from the midst of the Rivans a voice called out unto the Accursed
One, saying, 'In the name of Belar I defy thee, Torak, maimed and
Accursed. In the name of Aldur also, I cast my despite into thy teeth.
Let the bloodshed be abated, and I will meet thee - man against
God, and I shall prevail against thee. Before thee I cast my gage. Take
It up or stand as craven before men and Gods.'
In fury did Kal'Torak smite the rocks about him with his sword,
Cthrek-Goru, and fire leapt from the rocks, and the Angaraks and
the Malloreans were sore afraid before his wrath.
And Torak spake in a great voice, saying, 'Who among mortal
kind is so foolish as to thus defy the King of the World? Who among
you would contend with a God?'
And the voice from the midst of the grey-clad Rivans answered,
saying, 'I am Brand, Warder of Riva, and I defy thee, foul and
misshapen Godling, and all thy stinking Host. Bring forth thy nught.
Take up my gage or slink away and come no more against the
Kingdoms of the West.'
And Zedar the Sorcerer heard this, and he counseled the
Accursed One, saying, 'I beseech thee, Oh my Lord, let not thy fury
misguide thee. This Rivan is guided by thy kindred. Thy brother
Gods do conspire against thee, and this challenge is a trap of their
making.'
Again Torak smote the rocks with his great sword, and again the
fire leapt from the rocks, and he spake, saying, 'Behold, I am Torak,
King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I fear no man of mortal kind nor