"Kings in Darkness" is a

sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

by English writer

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has work ...

. It was first published in ''

Science Fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...

'' No. 54 in 1962. It has been reprinted as part of the Elric sagas and also reprinted in the

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

The Spell of Seven ''The Spell of Seven'' is an anthology of fantasy short stories in the sword and sorcery subgenre, edited by L. Sprague de Camp and illustrated by Virgil Finlay. It was first published in paperback by Pyramid Books in June 1965, and reprinted in De ...

'', edited by

L. Sprague de Camp Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...

Plot summary

The story picks up the

saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...

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 In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

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 Barrow may refer to: Places England * Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria ** Borough of Barrow-in-Furness, local authority encompassing the wider area ** Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency) * Barrow, Cheshire * Barrow, Gloucestershire * Barro ...

, 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 A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer who ...

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

* 1962 short stories Fantasy short stories Works originally published in Science Fantasy (magazine) {{1960s-fantasy-story-stub