In the caverns of Nihrain, also carved to represent scenes from the legends of the Nihrain, Sepiriz awaited them, a welcoming smile on his thin-lipped ebony face.

«Greetings, Sepiriz, » Elric dismounted and allowed slaves to lead his horse away. Moonglum did likewise, a trifle war' fly.

«I was informed correctly.» Sepiriz clasped Elric's shoulders in his hands. «I am glad for I learned you were bound to Sorcerers' Isle to seek the White Lords' help.»

'True. Is their help, then, unobtainable?»

«Not yet. We ourselves are trying to contact them, with me aid of the hermit magicians of the islands, but so far Chaos has blocked our attempts. But there is work for you and your sword nearer to home. Come to my chamber and refresh yourselves. We have some wine which will revitalise you and when you have drunk your fill I’ll tell you what task Fate has decided for you now.»

Elric put down his cup and breathed in deeply, feeling relaxed and invigorated. He pointed at the wine-jar and said:

«A man might easily become addicted to such a brew! »

«I'm addicted already, » Moonglum grinned, pouring himself another cup.

Sepiriz shook his head. «It has a strange quality, our Nihrain wine. It tastes pleasant and refreshes the weary, yet once his strength is regained the man who drinks it then is nauseated. That is why we still have some in our cellars. But our stocks are low-the vines from which it was made have long since passed from the Earth.»

«A magic potion, » Moonglum said, replacing his cup on the table.

«If you like to so designate it Elric and I are of an earlier age when magic was normal and Chaos ruled, if more quietly than now. You men of the Young Kingdoms are perhaps right to loathe it as you do, for we hope to ready the world for Law soon and then, perhaps, boy'll find similar brews by more painstaking methods, methods they can understand better.»

«I doubt it, » Moonglum laughed. Elric sighed. «If we are not judder man we have been, we'll see Chaos unleashed on the globe and Law forever vanquished, » he said gloomily.

«And no luck for us if Law is triumphant, eh?» Sepiriz poured himself a cup of the wine, showing that he, also, must be weary with his own efforts.

«What do you mean?» Moonglum asked curiously.

Sepiriz told him that he and Elric, though fighting Chaos, were actually fitted to a world where Chaos, to a great extent, was dominant In the world they hoped for, where Law ruled, there would be no place for their like.

Moonglum looked sharply at Elric, understanding that much more of his friend's unenviable predicament.

«You said there was work for me and my sword, Sepiriz.» Elric leaned forward. «What's its nature?»

«You have no doubt already learned that Jagreen Lern has summoned the Dukes of Hell to captain his men and keep his conquered lands under control?»

«Yes.»

«You understand the import of this. Jagreen Lern has succeeded in making a sizeable breach in the Law-constructed barrier which has hitherto kept the creatures of Chaos from wholly ruling the planet He is forever widening this breach as his power increases. This explains how he could summon such a mighty assembly of Hell's nobility where, in the past it was hard to bring one to our plain. Arioch is among them...»

«Arioch! » Arioch was Elric's patron, the principle god word shipped by his ancestors. «Then I am now a total outcast unprotected either by Law or by Chaos! »

«Your only dose supernatural ally is your sword, » Sepiriz said grimly. «And, perhaps, its brothers.»

«What brothers? There is only the sister-sword Mournblade which Dyvim Slorm has! »

«Do you remember that I told you how the twin swords were actually only an earthly manifestation of their supernatural selves?» Sepiriz said calmly.

«Yes.»

«Well. I can ten you now that Stormbringer's 'real' being is related to other supernatural force' on another plane. I know how to summon them, but these relations are also creatures of Chaos and therefore, as far as you're concerned, somewhat hard to control. They could well get out of hand in some way-perhaps even turn against you. Stormbringer, as you have discovered in the past, is bound to you by ties even stronger than those which bind it to its brothers, but its brothers outnumber it and Stormbringer might not be able to protect you against them.»

«Why have I never known this?»

«You have known it, in a way. Do you remember times when you have called for help and help has come?»

«Yes. You mean that this help has been supplied by Stormbringer's brethren?»

«I do. Already they are used to coming to your help. They are not what you and I would call 'intelligent, ‘ though sentient, and are therefore not so strongly bound to Chaos as its reasoning servants. They can be controlled, to a degree, by anyone who has power such as you have over one of their brothers. If you need their help, you will need to remember a rune which I shall tell you later.»

«And what is my task?»

«To destroy the Dukes of Hell.»

«But that's impossible. They are one of the mightiest groups in the entire domain of Chaos! «

«True. But you control one of the mightiest weapons. That is your task. Already there are hints that the Demon Dukes have taken some of Jagreen Lern's power from him. The fool. He still refuses to realise not he is a puppet of Chaos and thinks he can rule over such supernatural might as the Dukes represent But it is a certainty not with these friends Jagreen Lern can defeat the Southlands with a minimum of expenditure in arms and men. Without them he could do h-but It would take more time and effort and therefore give us a slight advantage to prepare against him white he subdues the Southlands.»

Elric did not bother to ask Sepiriz how he knew of the Southerners' decision to fight Jagreen Lern alone. Sepiriz obviously had many powers as was proved by his ability to contact Brie through the seer.

«I have sworn to help the Southlands in spite of their refusal to side with us against the Theocrats» he said calmly.

«And you'll keep your oath-by destroying the Dukes if you can.»

«Destroying Arioch, and Balan and Maluk...» Elric whispered the names, fearful that even here he might invoke them.

«Arioch has always been an intractable demon, » Moonglum pointed out «Many times in the past he has refused to aid you, Elric.»

«Because, » Sepiriz said, «he already had some knowledge that you and he were to fight in the future.»

Though the wine had refreshed his body, Elric began to ache in different ways. The strain on his soul was almost at breaking point. To fight the demon-god his ancestors had worshipped for millenia... The old blood was still strong in him, the old loyalties still present.

Sepiriz rose and gripped Elric's Shoulder, staring with black eyes into the dazed and smouldering red.

«You have pledged yourself to this mission, remember.»

Elric drew himself upright, nodded vaguely. «Aye. And even had I been given this knowledge before I made the pledge, I would still have made it But…»

«What?»

«Do not place too much faith in my ability to fulfil this part, Sepiriz.» The black Nihrain said nothing.

Later he left Elric brooding and returned with a white tablet on which Old nines were engraved.

He handed it to the albino who received it wordlessly.

«Memorise the spell, » Sepiriz said softly, »And then destroy fee tablet. But remember, only use it in an extreme emergency for, as I warned you, Stormbringer's brethren may refuse to aid you.»

Elric made an effort and controlled his emotion. For a long time, long after Moonglum had gone to rest, he studied the rune, learning not only how to verbalise it but also the twists of logic which he would have to understand, and the state of mind into which he must put himself if it were to be effective.