Short Story: By This Axe I Rule!

Overview
"By This Axe I Rule!" follows Kull, the brooding Atlantean who sits uneasy on the throne of a barbaric kingdom in the pre-Cataclysm age. The story compresses palace intrigue, personal doubt, and a hint of the uncanny into a compact narrative that shows Kull wrestling with what it means to be king. He is a foreigner among proud nobles, a ruler more at home in action than in courtly compromise, and the tale probes his stubborn insistence on law and identity when forces both human and otherworldly conspire to unmake him.
The title phrase becomes a symbol of authority and an instrument of judgment. Kull's rule is tested not only by scheming courtiers but also by a supernatural element that undercuts confidence and sows confusion. The result is a tense, atmospheric episode that alternates between the clanging practicalities of politics and the dark suggestion that deeper powers are at work in the ancient world.

Plot
The story opens with visible unrest in Kull's court: nobles opposed to his reforms and his refusal to bow to inherited privilege are plotting to remove him. Secret meetings and whispered conspiracies build as factions jockey for power. Kull senses the hostility but is uncertain whom to trust; his isolation as a king who came up from a warrior's life leaves him alienated from the leisured aristocracy he must now govern.
As intrigue escalates, uncanny occurrences begin to intrude. Strange visions, persuasive voices, and the revelation of an insidious influence suggest that more than mere ambition motivates the conspirators. Kull confronts both treachery and this intangible menace, moving between investigation, personal combat, and moments of grim introspection. The axe at his side becomes emblematic: used in battle, it is also the blunt instrument of final judgment when law and order collapse into violence.
The climax resolves in a mixture of martial action and uncompromising justice. Kull uncovers the heart of the conspiracy, engages the principal traitors, and reasserts his authority not through elaborate legalism but by the decisive enforcement of his will. The supernatural suggestions are acknowledged without fully explained revelation; they heighten the feeling that Kull's world is precarious, governed by ancient forces as well as human ambition.

Themes and Tone
The narrative dwells on themes of legitimacy, alienation, and the burdens of rulership. Kull is constantly aware of being an outsider, a man who won sovereignty by strength yet must now command respect through law in a culture that esteems lineage and privilege. The story interrogates whether kingship is enforced by fear, custom, or the ruler's own conviction, and it dramatizes the moment when a monarch must choose to act decisively to preserve order.
A brooding, sometimes philosophical tone underpins the action. Howard mixes sharp, physical scenes with introspective passages that expose Kull's doubts about identity and permanence. The supernatural elements function less as explicit fantasy set-pieces and more as a mood of ancient menace, reminding the reader that this frozen past contains powers and memories outlasting any single reign.

Legacy
As a Kull tale, the story contributes to the larger portrait of a dark, dying world that would later influence sword-and-sorcery literature. It emphasizes the stark, often brutal realities of power while allowing glimpses of mythic depth beneath political maneuvering. The compact drama of "By This Axe I Rule!" highlights Robert E. Howard's gift for blending rugged action with existential inquiry, capturing a king who must wield both weapon and will to hold a precarious throne.