Phoenix on the Sword

“Mithra, save us from the power of darkness!” He exclaimed. “The king did speak with Epitremeus tonight!” On the sword is a secret sign that no one could put except him - a sign of the immortal phoenix, whose sculpture was eternally installed over his grave! Candle, fast! Let's look again at the spot where the monster died according to the king! ”

It was hidden by a broken screen. The courtiers threw the screen aside and lit the floor with a candle. Trembling and silence swept over those who saw it. Some fell to their knees calling for Mithra, others screamed out of the room.

On the floor where the monster died, there was a large dark indelible spot like a tangible shadow, the outline of which undoubtedly remained from the blood of the demon and this imprint did not belong to a rational and ordinary world. The gloomy and terrible spot left here on the floor was like a hazy image of one of the monkey-like gods that are sitting on black altars in the dark temples of the gloomy country of Stygia.

Original text

"" Mitra guard us against the powers of darkness! ”He gasped.“ The king has indeed talked with Epemitreus this night! There on the sword - it is the secret sign none might make but him - the emblem of the immortal phœnix which broods "for ever over his tomb! A candle, quick! Look again at the spot where the king said the goblin died!"

It lay in the shade of a broken screen. They threw the screen aside and bathed the floor in a flood of candle-light. And a shuddering silence fell over the people as they looked. Then some fell on their knees calling on Mitra, and some fled screaming from the chamber.

There on the floor where the monster had died, there lay, like a tangible shadow, a broad dark stain that could not be washed out; the thing had left its outline clearly etched in its blood, and that outline was of no being of a sane and normal world. Grim and horrific it brooded there, like the shadow cast by one of the apish gods that squat on the shadowy altars of dim temples in the dark land of Stygia. ... "

- Robert Howard: “Phoenix on the Sword”

A bunch of conspirators led by Ascalante Baron Tuna are plotting the assassination of King Aquilonia Conan. Using connections, he manages to remove troops loyal to the king from the capital. He orders his slave, the Stygian Thoth-Amon , to follow Dion, whom Ascalante plans to enthrone (and then destroy). Thoth-Amon tells Dion his story. He was a court magician in Stygia, all the magicians were afraid of him, because he had a magic ring, with which he could set on any demon from the Abyss. But the thief stole his ring, and Tot-Amon had to flee. The robbers of Askalante attacked their caravan, and the wizard had to swear allegiance to the baron who recognized him. Thoth-Amon tries to pull Dion on his side, but he, immersed in selfishness , does not even hear the outpourings of the slave. He recalls that he has a certain ring of Happiness, bought by him from a thief, and shows it to Thoth-Amon. The shocked wizard finds out his ring, immediately stabs Dion and orders the demon to destroy Ascalante and all who will be with him.

In a dream, Conan falls into a mysterious tomb and meets with the sage Epitremeus, who died five thousand years ago. Epitremeus requires the king to stop Thoth-Amon, and enchant his sword. Conan wakes up, manages to put on armor and engage in battle with the conspirators. Ascalante is about to finish off the seriously wounded king, but the demon who appears appears to gnaw him. Conan pierces the demon with a conquered sword. The assembled courtiers accept the king’s tale as nonsense, but the shocked high priest of Mithra declares that only a few initiates know about the tomb of Epitremeus. He orders to illuminate the place where the demon died, and everyone sees the imprint of the body of the monster.

Roy Thomas released a comic book based on the novel in Conan Annual No. 2.

“By the ax I will rule!” - the last of the stories about Kull by Robert Howard, the action takes place in the fictional Turan era . First published by Lancer Books in 1967 in the softcover book King Kull.

In 1929, Howard attempted to publish the story in Argosy and Adventure Pulp Magazines, but was refused and rewrote the story, introducing a new secondary plot. The story was published in December 1932.

On the pages of the comic, King Kull first appeared in Kull the Conqueror (1971) by Marvel Comics. The first issue was part of the transformed short story “By This Ax, I Rule!”, Issue No. 11 (1973) was more specifically devoted to this story and went under the same heading. In 1997, the movie “ Kull the Conqueror ” was released (in the role of Kull Kevin Sorbo ), the plot is partially based on the motives of the story “By This Ax I Rule!”.

• The Phoenix on the Sword at Project Gutenberg Australia
• By This Ax I Rule! publication history at Howard Works
• The Phoenix on the Sword at Conan Wiki
• Conan the Barbarian at AmratheLion.com
• Conan.com: The Official Website