Prince Raynor, Part 2

cover art by E.K. Bergey

 Read/Watch 'em In Order #187

Just five months after the first of Henry Kuttner's Prince Raynor stories appeared in Strange Stories, the second would appear in the August 1939 issue of that magazine.

"The Citadel of Darkness" is set just a short time after the end of Raynor's previous tale. He, his Nubian servant Eblik and the woman warrior Delphia have fled their decimated homeland. They've found a band of addition survivors, but those guys were apparently wearing Red Shirts and they are all dead and dying when the new story begins.

They've been killed by a bandit gang led by Malric. Delphia was captured and taken to a nearby castle. Raynor and Eblik pursue, meeting a wizard named Ghiar along the way, who gives Raynor a magical talisman to aid him. 

But Ghiar has his own agenda. After bloodshed and magical shenanigans in the castle, Ghiar takes possession of Delphia and takes her to his own fortress--intending to drain her life force to extend his own life span. Raynor and Eblik pursue.

But breaking into that fortress means passing through a succession of dangers that will test Raynor's endurance, his loyalty to his friends and his courage. Along the way, Malric and his remaining bandits show up to throw off everyone's calculations. 

But along the way, Raynor has gained a very... well, unusual ally that might just allow he and his companions to get out of magical fortress alive.

It's a great story--full of action and tinged with horror in a way that is reministant of fiction by Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith. Eblik and Delphia don't get to do much themselves, which is a bit of a disappointment. But I'm sure they'll get to be more active in later stories.

Oh, wait. There were no later stories. Why weren't there more Prince Raynor stories, Kuttner? You had a good thing started here! Gee whiz!

Read the story for yourself HERE.