Conan the Barbarian 131

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous appearance in CB-130; next appearance in CB-132).

Minor Characters

 * A Brythuhian merchant (first and only appearance to date; dies in this issue).
 * A gypsy (first and only appearance to date).
 * A servant Wench (first and only appearance to date).
 * Rhax (first and only appearance to date; dies in this issue).

Locations

 * On the border of Cimmeria

Time Frame

 * Several days

Synopsis
Conan has taken to being a brigand near the Cimmerian border and accosts a passing Brythunian. When the merchant tricks Conan into taking his ring, the cursed item attaches itself to Conan's finger and the merchant rides away laughing while Conan struggles to remove it. Conan screams curses at the fleeing man, calling him a baboon, and suddenly lightning strikes the man. Investigating, Conan finds he has, in fact, turned into a baboon. In confusion, Conan rides away but is soon overcome with thirst. The next bend hides a pool of water, just as Conan had wished for, and although he is suspicious, he drinks. Unfortunately, he is attacked by another brigand and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, all his possessions, including the ring, are gone. As he tries to follow, a flying creature swoops above him so fast the wind throws him to the ground. Up ahead, Conan finds the thief, clawed to death, and as he investigates is attacked by a group of Picts. They bear him down but in the process he touches the hand of the dead thief and the ring jumps to Conan's finger, instantly healing Conan and vaporizing the Picts. He wanders on and finds a gypsy who tells Conan the ring is the cursed Ring of Jukas, forged to keep a king's wife protected and faithful, with the threat of death from a demon lord if she strayed. When she did stray, she and her lover were killed by the demon, and ring, which can only be taken willingly, passed down from person to person, protecting them from harm until the demon catches up with them at the next full moon. Conan knows his time is short and goes to a nearby village. He spends the evening with a serving wench, who attempts to steal the ring. When Conan realizes the ring has jumped to her hand, he tries to find someone who would take the ring from her, but is unsuccessful. Conan returns to the gypsy who tells him the sorcerer who originally forged the ring, Rhax, still lives in the nearby hills. They find him, but he also refuses to help and when Conan tries to force the issue, the sorcerer shoots a bolt of energy that opens a chasm in the ground. As the full moon begins to rise, the demon bursts into Rhax's keep to claim the girl. Conan pulls the ring from her finger and puts it on, hoping to defeat the demonic beast himself, but is outmatched. The girl pushes Rhax into the chasm and as he reaches for Conan's hand, the ring jumps to his finger and he falls into the pit, the demon chasing him. Conan and the girl make a swift exit.

Reprinted

 * The Chronicles of Conan 17 - The Creation Quest and Other Stories