Conan the Barbarian 147

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous appearance in CB-146; next appearance in CB-148).

Minor Characters

 * Pelija Lon (Previous appearance in CB-139; no further appearances to date).
 * C'Harona (First and only appearance to date); harpy witch.

Locations

 * Cimmeria
 * Border Kingdoms
 * D'eim

Time Frame

 * Two days

Synopsis
Conan camps in the hills of Cimmeria and his thoughts wander to Pelija Lon, whose apparition suddenly appears before him. He decides to visit her in the city of D'eim and when he arrives, he sees a huge tower being built in honor of Mitra. He is doubly shocked when the oracle of Mitra emerges - Pelija herself. Conan tries to speak to her, but Pelija claims when she took the vows of Mitra she forgot all of her past life. An annoyed Conan rides away and Pelija is led into a chamber underneath the tower by C'Harona, the high priestess, and shackled in order to "rest" in a fugue state. Though under C'Harona's spell, Pelija once again is able to send a vision to Conan and he returns to the city to save her. Conan disguises himself as a guard and enters the tower, and finds Pelija's chamber. Pelija, now awake, explains that C'Harona drugs her each morning to follow her orders and they intend to sacrifice Pelija the next day. The two are discovered by guards, but Conan knocks them unconscious and Pelija administers the mind control drug to them. They have the guards escort them to the ceremony, and Pelija pretends to be under C'Harona's spell, but then rebukes the witch and tells the assembled crowd C'Harona plans to summon demons. C'Harona sends her guards to stop Conan, and flees with Pelija to the tower. Once they arrive, they are attacked by both C'Harona's soldiers and rat demons, as the witch herself turns into a harpy. She tussles with Conan, who plunges his sword into her wing and then leaps on her, crushing her when the two hit the ground. The townspeople defeat the demons and pull down the tower.

Reprinted

 * The Chronicles of Conan 19 - Deathmark and Other Stories