ELRIK: "The majority of the dragons now sleep, exhausted. It is the best time to strike. We'll have one dragon to aid us-whom Dyvim Karm here will summon with his horn." "The majority of the dragons now sleep, exhausted. It is the best time to strike. We'll have one dragon to aid us-whom Dyvim Karm here will summon with his horn."

BISRANA: "This captured battle-barge will lead our fleet. We'll deceive their watchmen long enough to breach their defenses." "This captured battle-barge will lead our fleet. We'll deceive their watchmen long enough to breach their defenses."

DYVIM KARM: "The last thing they'll be expecting is a counter-attack." "The last thing they'll be expecting is a counter-attack."

Elrik turns to Queen Bisrana and addresses her fiercely- ELRIK: "But remember-I will confront the thing in black armour. I have a strange instinct... I believe I know who he is." "But remember-I will confront the thing in black armour. I have a strange instinct... I believe I know who he is."

The ships sail out to sea towards the distant towers of Melnibone. Inset of Elrik on the deck of the golden battle-barge, staring fiercely towards the towers.

From the POV of Melniboneans. In astonishment they watch the ragged navy approach (this is in the years before the sea-maze). Hastily they scramble to defensive positions, some rubbing sleep-filled eyes, some buckling on bits of armour.

A Melnibonean soldier runs into the throne room where Black Armour sits, his black sword still with him.

SOLDIER: "Sire! A fleet attacks us!" "Sire! A fleet attacks us!"

BLACK ARMOUR: "What? I thought those savages had learned their lesson." "What? I thought those savages had learned their lesson."

FIRST CAPTAIN: "It's too late to ready the battle-barges. We must fight them as they come ashore." "It's too late to ready the battle-barges. We must fight them as they come ashore."

SECOND CAPTAIN: "We expected no attack. We have no defenses ready." "We expected no attack. We have no defenses ready."

BLACK ARMOUR: "We'll defeat them easily enough ..." "We'll defeat them easily enough ..."

And then the barbarian invaders are pouring ashore, led by Queen Bisrana and the other chieftains ...

Behind them, offshore, the golden barge lies at anchor.

On it, Dyvim Karm raises the Dragon Horn to his lips. Elrik beside him speaks grimly.

ELRIK: "Now, Dyvim Karm. Blow the note to summon my brother Flamefang!" "Now, Dyvim Karm. Blow the note to summon my brother Flamefang!"

The barbarians clash with the startled Melniboneans. They pursue them into their towers. Black Armour has sneaked away into the highest tower while his men are fighting.

BLACK ARMOUR: "NO!" "NO!"

He climbs the steps to the throne room, where Arisand stands, smiling slightly.

BLACK ARMOUR: "You promised me triumph! Now we face defeat." "You promised me triumph! Now we face defeat."

ARISAND: "Come now, mortal-you must keep your nerve. I made you the gift of the Black Sword. You know how to use it best." "Come now, mortal-you must keep your nerve. I made you the gift of the Black Sword. You know how to use it best."

BLACK ARMOUR: "If this body is killed, then I die also!" "If this body is killed, then I die also!"

ARISAND: "I promised you I would save you from that fate. I keep my promises." "I promised you I would save you from that fate. I keep my promises."

A great shadow passes against the window outside. Black Armour turns when he sees it.

BLACK ARMOUR: "What's that?" "What's that?"

Outside, flying around the Tower of Kings is Flamefang, with Elric on his back.

Black Armour runs out to the balcony and looks down. In the streets the barbarians are driving the Melniboneans back into the tower. One of the chieftains flourishes a brand.

FIRST CHIEFTAIN: "Burn the cursed city to the ground!" "Burn the cursed city to the ground!"

BISRANA: "We swore we'd not fire Imrryr." "We swore we'd not fire Imrryr."

SECOND CHIEFTAIN: "You think he'll keep his word to us? Burn the whole foul place and every Melnibonean with it!" "You think he'll keep his word to us? Burn the whole foul place and every Melnibonean with it!"

Queen Bisrana makes an effort to stop the chieftain but she's held by some of his men as he and other warriors throw burning brands through windows where women and children can be seen drawing back in terror.

Elrik sees this from the back of his dragon and is horrified.

ELRIK: "The barbarians break their word!" "The barbarians break their word!"

He sees Black Armour staring up at him from the balcony and, in a wild leap, sword in hand, jumps from the back of the dragon to the balcony.

ELRIK: "Flamefang! Go! "Flamefang! Go! Aid my people! Go! Help them drive off the barbarians if you can!" Aid my people! Go! Help them drive off the barbarians if you can!"

BARBARIANS: "KILL!" "KILL!"

"Kill them all!"

"Above us! Look to your lives!"

Flamefang swoops down on the barbarians and their fleet, his fiery venom destroying everything it touches.

BARBARIANS: "He circles again!" "He circles again!"

"Fly, brothers! To the ships while we can!"

"The monster comes too late to save their precious city, anyway!"

Meanwhile, back on the balcony of the Tower of Kings, Elrik confronts Black Armour...

ELRIK: "You! One thing I can do-and that is kill the one who has betrayed everything Melnibone stood for!" "You! One thing I can do-and that is kill the one who has betrayed everything Melnibone stood for!"

So fierce is Elrik's attack that he drives the black-armoured figure back into the throne room where Arisand still watches, her face full of nervous glee.

Black Armour pauses at the throne.

BLACK ARMOUR: "You are more powerful than I guessed." "You are more powerful than I guessed."

He flings the sword at Elrik's feet.

BLACK ARMOUR: "There. The sword is yours. Kill me if you will ..." "There. The sword is yours. Kill me if you will ..."

ELRIK (thinks): (thinks): "I know this trick-and yet..." "I know this trick-and yet..."

He stoops to pick up the sword.

ELRIK (thinks): (thinks): "I have no choice but to take the risk and kill this foul being who has brought my sister and my kingdom to disgrace!" "I have no choice but to take the risk and kill this foul being who has brought my sister and my kingdom to disgrace!"

His hand reaches towards the sword.

Elrik's hand closes on the grip. He is astonished. The sword does not harm him.

ELRIK: "The sword. It does not harm me!" "The sword. It does not harm me!"

BLACK ARMOUR: "What??" "What??"

Black Armour's head whirls to where Arisand still stands.

BLACK ARMOUR: "Arioch! You swore only I could handle the sword!" "Arioch! You swore only I could handle the sword!"

Arisand smiles quietly, her great eyes full of malice and a kind of triumph.

ARISAND: "No, mortal-I swore only that one of "No, mortal-I swore only that one of your blood your blood could handle the sword." could handle the sword."

Then Elrik lunges forward, driving the sword towards the heart of Black Armour.

ARISAND: "But fear not. It suits my plan to save you before this vessel dies ..." "But fear not. It suits my plan to save you before this vessel dies ..."

We see a ghostly human form pulled out of the armoured figure by Arisand, who shows enormous, supernatural strength as she does so.

Just as Elrik plunges the blade deep into the armour. To terrible effect.

As the ghostly form escapes, a great scream comes from the black helmet.

ELRIK: "There, usurper! Die as you deserve!" "There, usurper! Die as you deserve!"

He lets his grip on the sword fall away as he stands listening in astonishment.

ELRIK: "That scream! It was a woman's scream. What's this? More sorcery?" "That scream! It was a woman's scream. What's this? More sorcery?"

The figure in black armour collapses, the black blade still sticking into the breastplate where its heart should be.

Unnoticed, Arisand opens a path to the moonbeam roads, all of which are ghostly.

Leading her ghostly charge, she steps out onto one of the roads. Elrik kneels beside the fallen figure, pulling off the helmet.

ELRIK: "Let's see the face of this filthy creature!" "Let's see the face of this filthy creature!"

Arisand and the other figure disappear out onto the moonbeam roads.

Elrik pulls off the helmet.

There is the sweet face of his sister. Her eyes are full of tears and she is clearly dying.

ELRIK: "Asrid! My sister! This cannot be!" "Asrid! My sister! This cannot be!"

ASRID: "The sword takes my soul, brother. I was possessed by a demon. It was not I did those terrible deeds ... Aaah. My soul! My soul!" "The sword takes my soul, brother. I was possessed by a demon. It was not I did those terrible deeds ... Aaah. My soul! My soul!"

ELRIK (in (in rage and agony): "No! No!!!" rage and agony): "No! No!!!"

ELRIK: "I have killed my beloved sister! I have murdered my kin!" "I have killed my beloved sister! I have murdered my kin!"

Dyvim Karm comes running up the steps into the throne room.

DYVIM KARM: "My lord Elrik! The barbarians have fired the city. They have broken their oath to you!" "My lord Elrik! The barbarians have fired the city. They have broken their oath to you!"

Elrik is in tears. He pulls the sword from his sister's body. She is dead.

ELRIK: "I have killed my sister. What care I if oaths are made and broken? They are meaningless sounds in the empty void ..." "I have killed my sister. What care I if oaths are made and broken? They are meaningless sounds in the empty void ..."

DYVIM KARM: "Imrryr burns, my lord. There are women and children in those buildings." "Imrryr burns, my lord. There are women and children in those buildings."

Elrik looks up, his eyes full of grief.

ELRIK: "I want this black blade gone. I wish it banished forever from this realm. Where are the Fire Elders? They said they would come when I held the Black Sword!" "I want this black blade gone. I wish it banished forever from this realm. Where are the Fire Elders? They said they would come when I held the Black Sword!"

ELRIK: "Well here it is! Now, Fire Elders, keep your word! Abolish this filthy thing to where no mortal hand can ever find it again!" "Well here it is! Now, Fire Elders, keep your word! Abolish this filthy thing to where no mortal hand can ever find it again!"

Dyvim Karm backs away in awe as the Fire Elders, creatures of pure flame, manifest themselves in the room, reaching out to take the blade from Elrik.

FIRE ELDER: "Here we are, King Elrik. You have done us a great service which we shall not forget." "Here we are, King Elrik. You have done us a great service which we shall not forget."

Elrik hands a Fire Elder the black blade.

ELRIK: "Take it. Make sure it is never again seen in Melnibone." "Take it. Make sure it is never again seen in Melnibone."

FIRE ELDER: "As long as one of your blood never holds it, it will do no further harm in this realm." "As long as one of your blood never holds it, it will do no further harm in this realm."

ELRIK: "None of mine will ever touch such a filthy thing, I swear! But this, too, I swear-that I shall keep no bargains with humans. Henceforth I shall rule by blood and fire, making Arioch and the Dukes of Hell my allies! All others shall all bow the knee in vassalage to Melnibone!" "None of mine will ever touch such a filthy thing, I swear! But this, too, I swear-that I shall keep no bargains with humans. Henceforth I shall rule by blood and fire, making Arioch and the Dukes of Hell my allies! All others shall all bow the knee in vassalage to Melnibone!"

Dyvim Karm speaks urgently: DYVIM KARM: "My lord! The towers still burn. Is there nothing these allies can do against those flames?" "My lord! The towers still burn. Is there nothing these allies can do against those flames?"

The Flame Elder turns to look at Dyvim Karm.

FLAME ELDER: "Fear not, mortal. We shall gather the flames to our own bodies and take them with us when we leave." "Fear not, mortal. We shall gather the flames to our own bodies and take them with us when we leave." (He turns to Elrik:) (He turns to Elrik:) "Farewell, young King Elrik. We sorrow for your lost sister. But I fear your own destiny is not a happy one ..." "Farewell, young King Elrik. We sorrow for your lost sister. But I fear your own destiny is not a happy one ..."

Elrik's face screws up with pain and anger as he watches the Flame Elders fade and leave.

ELRIK: "Happiness? That's no longer a quality we of Melnibone shall seek. I'll keep the compact made with Arioch. He shall have his share of blood and souls! Henceforth we shall be strong and merciless and our pleasures will be of the cruelest kind!" "Happiness? That's no longer a quality we of Melnibone shall seek. I'll keep the compact made with Arioch. He shall have his share of blood and souls! Henceforth we shall be strong and merciless and our pleasures will be of the cruelest kind!"

Dyvim Karm goes to the balcony and looks down. He turns with astonishment to address King Elrik- DYVIM KARM: "My lord king! The fires are out. The barbarians retreat. Imrryr is saved!" "My lord king! The fires are out. The barbarians retreat. Imrryr is saved!"

We see a close up as Dyvim Karm's face goes from astonished delight to horrified surprise- DYVIM KARM: "Elrik? My lord?" "Elrik? My lord?"