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Kings in Darkness - Wikipedia

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"Kings in Darkness" is a sword and sorcery short story by English writer Michael Moorcock. It was first published in Science Fantasy No. 54 in 1962. It has been reprinted as part of the Elric sagas and also reprinted in the anthology The Spell of Seven, edited by L. Sprague de Camp.

Plot summary

The story picks up the saga of Elric as he and Moonglum of Elwher barely escape with their lives from Nadsokor, the city of Beggars and find themselves in the cursed forest of Troos. Elric is able to collect various sorcerous herbs that grow only there, and they meet the young and beautiful Lady Zarozinia of Kaarlak, sole survivor of a massacre by the physically and mentally twisted Orgians. They agree to escort her to safety, but are further attacked by Orgians and escape, leaving their treasure behind.

The trio, now protected by Elric's magic, bluff their way into the citadel of the Orgians, in the guise of messengers of the Gods, but King Gutheran and his son Prince Hurd see through their lie and imprison the travellers.

Elric is chained at the entrance to the barrow, beneath which live the Hill-Folk, the undead ancestors of the Orgians. About to be eaten alive by the gibbering ghouls, he prays to Arioch the Demon God, who sends a lightning-bolt to shatter his chains, allowing his escape. Moonglum thus far has escaped capture, but Zarozinia has been imprisoned. She is released by Gutheran's brother, the blind minstrel Veerkad, who plans to sacrifice her and use her blood to complete a spell to raise the Hill-Folk. He is interrupted in this devilish work by Prince Hurd and it's Veerkad's blood that completes the magic. The Hill-Folk, led by their Hill-King, arise and invade the Great Hall to massacre the Orgians.

Gutheran, who fears the arrival of the Hill-King more than anything, dies of a seizure. Elric can do nothing against the Hill-King, who is proof against even his sword Stormbringer, but with Moonglum's aid, he lures the undead King into a blazing fire. As the Hill-King finally perishes and the massacre continues, the castle falls into blazing ruin and the trio make their escape from Org.

External links

Kings in Darkness title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

v t e Bibliography of Michael Moorcock
Novels	The Dreaming City (1961) The Fireclown (1965) The Jewel in the Skull (1967) The Final Programme (1968) The Mad God's Amulet (1968) The Sword of the Dawn (1968) The Runestaff (1969) The Black Corridor (1969) Behold the Man (1969) The Chinese Agent (1970) The Eternal Champion (1970) Phoenix in Obsidian (1970) The Warlord of the Air (1971) A Cure for Cancer (1971) The English Assassin: A Romance of Entropy (1972) Elric of Melniboné (1972) Breakfast in the Ruins (1972) The Land Leviathan (1974) The Adventures of Una Persson and Catherine Cornelius in the 20th Century (1976) The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (1976) The Condition of Muzak (1977) Gloriana (1978) Byzantium Endures (1981) The War Hound and the World's Pain (1981) The Steel Tsar (1981) The Brothel in Rosenstrasse (1982) The Laughter of Carthage (1984) The City in the Autumn Stars (1986) The Dragon in the Sword (1986) Mother London (1988) Jerusalem Commands (1992) King of the City (2000) Firing the Cathedral (2002) The Vengeance of Rome (2006) The Coming of the Terraphiles (2010) The Whispering Swarm (2015)
Collections	The Time Dweller (1969) The Lives and Times of Jerry Cornelius (1976) The History of the Runestaff (1979) The Dancers at the End of Time (1981) A Nomad of the Time Streams (1982) The Opium General and other stories (1984) Elric: Song of the Black Sword (1995) The Metatemporal Detective (2007)
Comic books	Conan the Barbarian Michael Moorcock's Multiverse Tom Strong
Anthologies edited	England Invaded Before Armageddon
Characters and concepts	Corum Jhaelen Irsei Dorian Hawkmoon Elric of Melniboné Erekosë Eternal Champion Jerry Cornelius Multiverse Stormbringer Symbol of Chaos Ulrich von Bek Melniboné
Music contributions	New Worlds Fair Warrior on the Edge of Time Lucky Leif and the Longships Mirrors Cultösaurus Erectus Hype Sonic Attack Zones Live Chronicles
Other work	"Epic Pooh" "Kings in Darkness" The Land That Time Forgot New Worlds
Adaptations	Airtight Garage The Chronicle of the Black Sword The Final Programme Elric: Battle at the End of Time Stormbringer RPG Hawkmoon RPG

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