Conan the Barbarian 139

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous appearance in CB-138; next appearance in CB-140).

Minor Characters

 * Pelija Lon (Previous appearance in CB-138; next appearance in CB-147).
 * Revelle (Previous appearance in CB-138; dies in this issue).
 * Eshe Lon (Previous appearance in CB-138; dies in this issue).
 * Ishti (Previous appearance in CB-134; dies in this issue).

Locations

 * Isle of the Living Dead in Ishti's realm
 * Cimmerian Border

Time Frame

 * A few hours

Synopsis
The snake man that was once Eshe Lon attacks Conan but is stabbed and killed as the other prisoners shed their human skins. Pelija manages to escape the cell as Conan holds the monsters back, but Pelija realizes the power of the pendant she has taken from her father, and causes a cave in that crushes the snake men. They flee back the way they came but find the entrance partially barricaded by a soft green wall. They climb over the barrier but find it's the snake body of the medusa-like demoness Ishti who has wrapped herself around the temple. She taunts the two and breathes a bolt of magic on Conan's arm, which grows scales as he slowly begins to turn into a snake man. Pelija throws him the protective pendant, but it doesn't seem to help as the transformation continues. Conan climbs to the top of the fort and dives into Ishti's gaping mouth, carving her apart from the inside. With Ishti's death the change reverts and Conan returns to normal as Revelle teleports them back to his lair. Revelle threatens to kill Pelija if Conan doesn't hand over the pendant, but Conan is determined not to let such powerful magic fall into evil hands, so Revelle slits Pelija's throat and throws her body at Conan. Conan rubs the pendant on her wound and it heals, and a furious Pelija takes the pendant and causes a snake to appear in Revelle's throat, choking him to death. Pelija returns the pendant to Conan and asks him to destroy it, and the two ride their separate ways.

Reprinted

 * The Chronicles of Conan 18 - Isle of the Dead and Other Stories