Rachel: Wasteland Barbarian Queen #1 (Part 1)
The Vale of Springs (Part 1)
The Kingdom of Vault 101 was her home no more. The safe havens of its hallowed halls lost eternally to her.
Long before, her father, Grognak the Barbarian, had taken the girl, newly ripped from her dying mother's womb, and fled to raise her in safety. In the guise of the Churgeon James, Grognak lived in peace for many years among the strange wizards of the Vault.
Rachel grew strong and proud, like her mother Femme-Ra before her. She thrilled to her father's adventures, thinking him naught but tales and fantasies. Grognak indulged his treasured jewel, providing her with brightly coloured dice and illuminated manuscripts that taught the art and theory of magic and war.
She trained under his watchful eye, costumed in the garb and weapons of his wandering days, all the while pretending it to be nothing more than idle sport. The mighty Rachel frequently stood fast and victorious against the Tunnel Snake Men in defense of her own treasure, the princess Amata.
One day Grognak threw off his disguise, defying King Overseer and opened the sealed gates to the forgotten world beyond. He fled without a word to his daughter, wishing her to remain safe in the world where demons and sorcerers were only a child's game.
King Overseer decreed the death of the Daughter of Grognak. He soon learned his mistake as one by one his men fell to her supple sinew swinging steel. At the last, she took a memento of her lost life, a small treasure from her father's healing chamber.
The cries of the raven-haired Amata drew her aside. She slew the man who dared lay hands on her treasure.
“Your time is done, Overseer. Your throne will be mine, as I cut the crown from your bloodied skull.” Amata jumped in her way, blindly defending her father, even as he sought her harm.
Rachel's hand fell heavily on her naked shoulder. "Stand aside, girl," she mumbled. "Now is the feasting of swords." (1)
The girl's tears stayed her hand. Amata ran out, leaving Rachel to face the King. He demanded she surrender, let him seal the vault. He warned her of the dangers beyond the great door. How the last bastions of civiliztion were kept here by an iron hand. How the world beyond had become a barbaric wilderness.
"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind," she said, still staring grimly at the Overseer. "Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph." (2)
She raised the point of her blade to his throat, pricing a welling drop of blood from his tender, softened, civilized flesh. “A hand on Amata, and I finish this.”
The Talisman her father gave her lead her to the royal chambers, and whispered secrets flew between the demon within it and the oracle there. Monsters... Secrets. The Vault had been opened before. The king stood revealed as a tyrant.
She begged Amata to come with her. But to no avail. “Then I shall truly become a Lone Wanderer in the world beyond.” Without another word, she fled into the wastes.
(1) “Xuthal of the Dusk”, novelette; Weird Tales 22 3, Sep 1933; also as "The Slithering Shadow"
(2) "Beyond the Black River", novella; Weird Tales 25 5–6, May/Jun 1935
The Kingdom of Vault 101 was her home no more. The safe havens of its hallowed halls lost eternally to her.
Long before, her father, Grognak the Barbarian, had taken the girl, newly ripped from her dying mother's womb, and fled to raise her in safety. In the guise of the Churgeon James, Grognak lived in peace for many years among the strange wizards of the Vault.
Rachel grew strong and proud, like her mother Femme-Ra before her. She thrilled to her father's adventures, thinking him naught but tales and fantasies. Grognak indulged his treasured jewel, providing her with brightly coloured dice and illuminated manuscripts that taught the art and theory of magic and war.
She trained under his watchful eye, costumed in the garb and weapons of his wandering days, all the while pretending it to be nothing more than idle sport. The mighty Rachel frequently stood fast and victorious against the Tunnel Snake Men in defense of her own treasure, the princess Amata.
One day Grognak threw off his disguise, defying King Overseer and opened the sealed gates to the forgotten world beyond. He fled without a word to his daughter, wishing her to remain safe in the world where demons and sorcerers were only a child's game.
King Overseer decreed the death of the Daughter of Grognak. He soon learned his mistake as one by one his men fell to her supple sinew swinging steel. At the last, she took a memento of her lost life, a small treasure from her father's healing chamber.
The cries of the raven-haired Amata drew her aside. She slew the man who dared lay hands on her treasure.
“Your time is done, Overseer. Your throne will be mine, as I cut the crown from your bloodied skull.” Amata jumped in her way, blindly defending her father, even as he sought her harm.
Rachel's hand fell heavily on her naked shoulder. "Stand aside, girl," she mumbled. "Now is the feasting of swords." (1)
The girl's tears stayed her hand. Amata ran out, leaving Rachel to face the King. He demanded she surrender, let him seal the vault. He warned her of the dangers beyond the great door. How the last bastions of civiliztion were kept here by an iron hand. How the world beyond had become a barbaric wilderness.
"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind," she said, still staring grimly at the Overseer. "Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph." (2)
She raised the point of her blade to his throat, pricing a welling drop of blood from his tender, softened, civilized flesh. “A hand on Amata, and I finish this.”
The Talisman her father gave her lead her to the royal chambers, and whispered secrets flew between the demon within it and the oracle there. Monsters... Secrets. The Vault had been opened before. The king stood revealed as a tyrant.
She begged Amata to come with her. But to no avail. “Then I shall truly become a Lone Wanderer in the world beyond.” Without another word, she fled into the wastes.
(1) “Xuthal of the Dusk”, novelette; Weird Tales 22 3, Sep 1933; also as "The Slithering Shadow"
(2) "Beyond the Black River", novella; Weird Tales 25 5–6, May/Jun 1935
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