KING GROME: "A morsel to distract me from my pain? You fail to understand the importance of this matter. We are doomed unless you bring me the blade. You must bring me the blade! All are imperiled!" "A morsel to distract me from my pain? You fail to understand the importance of this matter. We are doomed unless you bring me the blade. You must bring me the blade! All are imperiled!"

FIRST PUKWADJI: "A morsel is all we can offer, great king of the earth. We are too weak to defeat the Mernii intruders. We are sorry we bartered the black blade." "A morsel is all we can offer, great king of the earth. We are too weak to defeat the Mernii intruders. We are sorry we bartered the black blade."

GROME: "You will perish. I will punish you. King Grome still has his powers! And his pride." "You will perish. I will punish you. King Grome still has his powers! And his pride."

Flashback of the Mernii ships breaking through dimensions onto a river. As the Mernii run for it, Grome buries all the ships, including the river, under huge mounds of earth...

But Grome is hungry, too ...

GROME: "Oh, very well, give me the morsel ..." "Oh, very well, give me the morsel ..."

Elric is thrown down to Grome who catches him expertly with his strange, earthy, rooty hand.

GROME: "What bloodless thing is this?" "What bloodless thing is this?"

ELRIC: "I can assure you, your majesty, that I am better conversation than I am a canape." "I can assure you, your majesty, that I am better conversation than I am a canape."

Grome continues to lift Elric towards his gaping maw.

GROME: "That blade brings doom upon the world. Unless I can put it back in the rock from which it was taken." "That blade brings doom upon the world. Unless I can put it back in the rock from which it was taken."

ELRIC: "I'll strike a bargain with you. Let me explain this to my people. Surely they purchased the black blade for a special reason." "I'll strike a bargain with you. Let me explain this to my people. Surely they purchased the black blade for a special reason."

GROME (now (now hesitates and thinks): hesitates and thinks): "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"

Grome returns Elric to the ground, releasing his bonds.

Puzzled Pukwadji return Elric's bow and arrows, etc. Set him on his way, scowling and unsure.

SHAMAN: "But if you fail to keep your bargain with him, King Grome will find you and eat you wherever you hide. Go!" "But if you fail to keep your bargain with him, King Grome will find you and eat you wherever you hide. Go!"

ELRIC: "I doubt my own folk will welcome me much more warmly." "I doubt my own folk will welcome me much more warmly."

Elric now approaches a mountain which those with sharp eyes might notice to resemble the contours of the Isle of Melnibone. On the side of this (where the harbour is now) stands a very elaborate and wealthy camp, protected by a tall, wooden fence. Within the compound are wigwam-style tents, very tall, with slender lodge poles and cowled tops. They are versions of the towers of Melnibone. A young Mernii guard looks at Elric with a mixture of humour and contempt.

GUARD: "Good afternoon, renegade. Have you received an order to return ...?" "Good afternoon, renegade. Have you received an order to return ...?"

ELRIC: "No, kinsman, but I come in some urgency." "No, kinsman, but I come in some urgency."

Within the camp, which has a temporary quality to it, Elric is greeted by a group of aggressive young men.

LEADER (of aggressive young men): (of aggressive young men): "Renegade! Our king is too lenient." "Renegade! Our king is too lenient."

ELRIC: "A pleasant day, Tvarim Kha." "A pleasant day, Tvarim Kha."

TVARIM KHA: "Both you and he deserve to die!" "Both you and he deserve to die!"

But Elric pushes past them. They are glowering, reaching towards their swords.

Wearing the iron-feathered crown of kingship, King Varnik is still relatively young and fit. He is clearly White Crow's elder brother. He turns an unwelcoming gaze on Elric as he arrives in the big wigwam. The black blade (sans (sans runes) is laid on a sort of altar, guarded by tall, grim Mernii (Melniboneans). It appears to be a lance-blade and there is a half-moon fitting at the top, supposedly for a shaft, but actually it is where the throbbing scarlet Actorios stone should sit runes) is laid on a sort of altar, guarded by tall, grim Mernii (Melniboneans). It appears to be a lance-blade and there is a half-moon fitting at the top, supposedly for a shaft, but actually it is where the throbbing scarlet Actorios stone should sit.

KING VARNIK: "You return early from your banishment, sir trickster..." "You return early from your banishment, sir trickster..."

ELRIC: "Brother, I am hoping to end a war destroying both sides. How can we get our ships back and let them have the black blade?" "Brother, I am hoping to end a war destroying both sides. How can we get our ships back and let them have the black blade?"

Varnik is interested.

ELRIC: "Grome will destroy the dwarves if they do not return the blade." "Grome will destroy the dwarves if they do not return the blade."

VARNIK: "Let him destroy them. Without the blade we'll have no means of pursuing our journey. The loss of the ships was terrible, but we can't give them back the blade." "Let him destroy them. Without the blade we'll have no means of pursuing our journey. The loss of the ships was terrible, but we can't give them back the blade."

ELRIC: "Destroying the dwarves, Grome will then begin killing us. Until he has the blade ..." "Destroying the dwarves, Grome will then begin killing us. Until he has the blade ..."

VARNIK: "The blade has a special purpose. Our people will not survive without it. We must keep it." "The blade has a special purpose. Our people will not survive without it. We must keep it."

ELRIC: "Will you still need it when it has performed this purpose?" "Will you still need it when it has performed this purpose?"

VARNIK: "Need it or not, it is ours by tradition. We'll never return it." "Need it or not, it is ours by tradition. We'll never return it."

ELRIC: "So we'll never see our ships again, and yet the blade will be useless until we regain the Actorios stone. Would you bargain with Grome if I found you the stone?" "So we'll never see our ships again, and yet the blade will be useless until we regain the Actorios stone. Would you bargain with Grome if I found you the stone?"

Varnik leans forward, laughing at Elric.

VARNIK: "You would have to bring back the Actorios in just over a year ... For that is the time of the next great astral conjunction, when the sword is needed." "You would have to bring back the Actorios in just over a year ... For that is the time of the next great astral conjunction, when the sword is needed."

ELRIC: "Legend has it the Actorios was stolen from us before we owned the sword. The thief was a northern giant, too quick for any to follow, and not one of our warriors who sought him ever returned." "Legend has it the Actorios was stolen from us before we owned the sword. The thief was a northern giant, too quick for any to follow, and not one of our warriors who sought him ever returned."

VARNIK: "Can you do what our greatest heroes failed to do? If so I give you my word-bring me the Actorios, the Dragon Stone ... and Grome shall have his sword returned ... after we have used it." "Can you do what our greatest heroes failed to do? If so I give you my word-bring me the Actorios, the Dragon Stone ... and Grome shall have his sword returned ... after we have used it."

ELRIC: "Then clearly, my lord, I must find the Actorios for you ... within the year! "Then clearly, my lord, I must find the Actorios for you ... within the year!

The leader of the belligerent young men is cheered by what he overhears.

LEADER (whispers): (whispers): "They'd trade away our birthright, but one will die on his quest, and the other's easily finished ..." "They'd trade away our birthright, but one will die on his quest, and the other's easily finished ..."

CHAPTER FOUR.

The Dragon Stone And so White Crow journeyed north ...

With the basic kit for a long journey on foot, White Crow sets off away from the tall lodges of his people. This page could be done like Indian pictograms.

Basically it will be four panels depicting the seasons, in which White Crow makes a journey across the North American continent from south to north.

(Summer) ... Risking death ...

In this sequence White Crow is attacked by a white mountain lion and defeats it.

(Fall) ... Learning wisdom ...

In this sequence White Crow sits with human people, passing the peace pipe and listening while wise oldsters read from long wampum belts.

(Winter) ... Controlling his powers ...

Winter on prairie, White Crow uses his magic-to stop a charging white buffalo.

(Spring) ... Defending life ...

We see White Crow binding the leg of a bear, helping a deer out of a ravine, setting a white beaver on its way ...

BEAVER: "I am grateful, White Crow ..." "I am grateful, White Crow ..."

BEAVER: "... But I will not accompany you. We shun the long house you seek. It lies due north. It is fairly well defended." "... But I will not accompany you. We shun the long house you seek. It lies due north. It is fairly well defended."

Beavers are famous for their understatement ...

... and had good reason to shun the giants' "long house."

Elric arrives at last at the Giants' great long house-actually a massive ziggurat-shaped metropolis, with all kinds of city activity taking place in its galleries, between private windows and public walkways. But, save for a narrow, heavily defended causeway, there seems no way into the city, for the great lake around it boils with molten lava. Which does not concern those citizens. At the very top of the ziggurat is the Temple of the Actorios. You can see its red light burning, even in day. Giants have a distinctively Iroquois sort of look. Maybe we should save whole view of the ziggurat until next page ...

ELRIC (thinks): (thinks): "A lake of molten lava. With only one way to cross. Yet there's the Actorios they prize-atop their city's proudest point." "A lake of molten lava. With only one way to cross. Yet there's the Actorios they prize-atop their city's proudest point."

Elric's tiny in this picture, with the vast city dominating everything. Closer to foreground maybe is Sepiriz the raven-young Elric's mentor in these dreams. Sepiriz is, of course, an omen-ous bird.

ELRIC: "No mortal can cross that!" "No mortal can cross that!"

SEPIRIZ: "With native skill and demon's lore "With native skill and demon's lore On supernatural wing's ye'll soar...

With sorcerous cunning and feline stealth ...

A prince shall filch a giant's wealth ...

Elric is almost amused by the appearance of his familiar.

ELRIC: "There you are, Master Sepiriz. Come to give me advice. As always. I'm glad to see you." "There you are, Master Sepiriz. Come to give me advice. As always. I'm glad to see you."

We see him beginning to puzzle out the spell-aha!- ELRIC: "The flying demon! A recently learned spell ..." "The flying demon! A recently learned spell ..."

... and as he does so we fade to him actually doing the conjuring of the grumpy winged demon- GRUMPY DEMON: "I do this because your spell grants you one wish of me." "I do this because your spell grants you one wish of me."

-and forcing it to take him over to the long house.

Grumbling, yet triumphant, the demon flies off, leaving Elric on the dais up to the brazier which holds the Actorios Stone, the Dragon Stone. This has awakened a huge giant who looks up and sees Elric.

DEMON: "I said I'd carry you there. I said nothing of taking you back. My bargain's done!" "I said I'd carry you there. I said nothing of taking you back. My bargain's done!"

As the giant comes roaring up to defend the Actorios, Elric gets between himself and the glaring red crystal. Puts influence on giant, using the crystal as a sort of amplifier of his powers.

ELRIC: "Through wizard's eyes and red stones stare "Through wizard's eyes and red stones stare By Arioch's will and Arioch's glare...

By fiery crystal, blazing light... Submit to me your giantly might!"

GIANT: "That is a powerful and dangerous spell, master. Hate thee as I do, I am bound to obey thee." "That is a powerful and dangerous spell, master. Hate thee as I do, I am bound to obey thee."

Elric clings to the giant's single scalp-lock as he poises on the edge of the city wall, like a diver ready to dive into a pool. Elric has the Actorios in his bag.

GIANT: "I have done you no wrong, Prince Elric. I shall die in agony but I can only obey... "I have done you no wrong, Prince Elric. I shall die in agony but I can only obey...

Dives- Elric on the giant's head, clinging to the scalp-lock, the giant swims through lava, his skin burning.

At edge of the lake of lava, White Crow jumps off the giant, who is dying, drowning as he is sucked back into the lava. White Crow begins to run, the raven flying overhead.

GIANT: "You will pay a price for your lack of mercy, Prince Elric. Mark my words ..." "You will pay a price for your lack of mercy, Prince Elric. Mark my words ..."

And then White Crow ran home.

CHAPTER FIVE.

The Swearing of Oaths White Crow is returning home, the sack over his back. It is summer.

The arrogant young rebel, Tvarim Kha, sees him approaching the camp and scowls in rage. He had expected White Crow to die on his quest.

TVARIM KHA: "So he survived the quest! We must end this prince's run of luck..." "So he survived the quest! We must end this prince's run of luck..."

Elsewhere-Yyrkoon puts an enchantment on Tanglebones so that his men can go in and finish off Elric- YYRKOON: "There! The oldster's enchanted. Now do your work ..." "There! The oldster's enchanted. Now do your work ..."

Elric arrives at Varnik's wigwam. Varnik is almost as surprised to see him as Tvarim Kha.

VARNIK: "White Crow! You have it. And just in time!" "White Crow! You have it. And just in time!"

Elric holds the sack back from Varnik's eager fingers. In his other hand Varnik holds what looks like a lance-blade with a half-moon female joint for the haft. But the Actorios will actually fit there.

VARNIK: "Give me the Actorios. I know what to do!" "Give me the Actorios. I know what to do!"

ELRIC: "Not until you have sworn the oath we agreed! After you have used it, you must return the blade to Grome." "Not until you have sworn the oath we agreed! After you have used it, you must return the blade to Grome."

VARNIK: "Quickly! Very well, I swear. I swear to do as you ask." "Quickly! Very well, I swear. I swear to do as you ask."