"The Vault of Silence" by Lin Carter (1970)
Originally appeared in Swords Against Tomorrow (1970). Plot: Carthalla, a princess of Sarkovy is captured by brutish Thungoda warriors, who drag her off to the mountains. Kellory shows up and faces off with them, before zapping them all dead with a lightning spell. The warlock is on a mission to find a spell book of a dead wizard, Yaohim, and can't turn back. Instead he takes Carthalla with him. He wants the spell book so he can take on the Thungoda horde coming to Sarkovy. They stop for the night near the Black River. Carthalla sneaks off to bath, when a slimy black tentacle monster grabs her. Kellory saws her with magic, draining his soul-power. Weakensed they continue onto Yaohim's glass-like castle. There are no more guardians (Kellory's attack on the shioggua may have driven them off.) They search the castle but don't find the book. They are argue and Carthalla mentions her father's throne back in Khev. Kellory realizes his mistake and searches for a secret throne room, which he finds. Here is attacked by Yaohim's spirit. They duel in the halfworld of the Dubious Lands. Kellory wins, driving off Yaohim's soul. He doesn't find the book and must continue searching. Carthalla decides to go with him. Monsters: Shioggua - black, ropy slime monster dwelling in the Black River. The Ghost of Yaohim the Sorcerer - wraith-like spirit of wizard who guards his castle History: "The Vault of Silence" is the opening chapter of the novel Kellory the Warlock (1984, fourteen years after this excerpt) and it was the only section published separately. Some critics have said the Kellory novel is Carter's version of Michael Moorcock's Elric and I agree to a point. I think Carter was pastiching Moorcock characters in general. Kellory is dark and unlikeable as is Elric but he is also horribly scarred and maimed like Dorian Hawkmoon. Other critics feel Carter was starting to find his own way (less pastiche, more original) but the shioggua (Tsathoggua/shoggoth) begs differently. Still, I enjoyed it.
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