"Storm in a Bottle" (aka "Brak in Chains") by John Jakes(1977)
Rick Bryant's illo Originally appeared in Flashing Swords #4 (1977). Plot: Brak is brought in chains to the city of Lord Magnus the Worldbreaker. He is to be conscripted into the the army. Brak is chained to a cart along with the Children of the Smoke, herdsmen who are enemies of the reining lord. Brak throws a fuss and only when Captain Xeraph, the officer in charge of his caravan, steps in does he calm down a little. The caravan is moving up a street lined with identical statues symbolizing Lord Magnus the Worldbreaker. The Worldbreaker is a general who suffered a great tragedy in his youth, when his lady was murdered by a rapist, one of Magnus's trusted officers. The man escaped but not without being wounded by Magnus with a spear. Since then he has ruled with a cruel iron fist. The people of the city are suffering under a curse, for a burning sun bakes the city and drains the reservoirs. A mob attacks the cart, thinking Brak is a bad omen. He breaks free, climbing onto a statue in flight. A weird magical event takes place, causing the rows of statues to turn blood-red from their feet slowly rising up. This illusion is broken by Brak swinging his chains. Brak is taken to see Lord Magnus to account for his blasphemy (striking a statue of the lord). Brak also meets Ool, the lord's advisor and sorcerer, a mysterious eunech who hides his hands in his sleeves. Brak argues with Magnus, claiming he has some knowledge of magical encounters. Magnus challenges Brak to rid the city of the curse. Ool makes sure that he has only two days to accomplish it. Captain Xeraph is stuck with Brak until that time. If Brak escapes, Xeraph's life will be forefeit. Xeraph takes Brak back to his small apartment and tries to teach him chess. Xeraph explains that Ool has a tower where no one, not even Lord Magnus goes, where he keeps young boys as his servants, boys who are perverted by his strange ways. He also tells Brak that Ool's spells, which have failed to save the city, are casted privately in a dry canal outside of town. Brak and Xeraph sneak out and watch the sorcerer casting his spells (which fail of course). Brak sees some clue. Brak tries to sneak out of Xeraph's apartment that night, taking his sword. Xeraph wakes and Brak brains him. Sneaking outside he goes to Ool's sanctum and gains access by climbing a balcony. Inside he is attacked by three of the weird boylings. They use a spell that creates a giant mouth. Brak struggles against the magic but manages to kills the boys with his sword. The fight alarms Ool who slams Brak to the floor with magic. (In true villain style) he boasts how he has been causing the drought by keeping all the winds in a magical bottle. He does this for revenge and to allows the Children of the Smoke to invade the city. Brak tells him he recognized the marks on his arm (the clue he saw) and knows that Ool was the officer who had raped the lord's wife. The spear thrust had taken his genitals. Brak infuriates him by mentioning his lost manhood. This allows Brak to knock Ool down then run into the other room to the bottle. He throws it to the floor, causing a huge explosion. Ool is killed by a falling beam in the explosion but Brak survives. He returns to Lord Magnus to be freed, since the rains have returned. Lord Magnus cheats him, saying Brak will be freed of his chains but will still go into the army. Brak cries out, attacks the lord and is struck unconscious and dragged off. Monsters Phantom Mouths - Ool's guardian children use a spell that creates a giant biting mouth. History: An unusual Brak story in that Brak plays detective to find out why the city has not had any rain. Because of this there aren't any real monsters and not that many fights either. Brak's saga ends with this story. It is unfortunate that at the end Brak does not go free from Lord Magnus, implying a sequel that has yet to be found. The story was renamed "Brak in Chains" for the reprint collection The Fortunes of Brak, a title that gives away less of the magical mystery.
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