Conan the Barbarian 169

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous appearance in CB-168; next appearance in CB-170).

Minor Characters

 * Unnamed mage (First appearance; next appearance in CB-170).
 * Unnamed wench (First appearance; next appearance in CB-170).

Locations

 * Nemedia

Time Frame

 * A few days

Synopsis
Conan rides in a snowy forest whilst being chased by the brothers of a man Conan killed when he caught the thief trying to snatch his purse. His horse collapses and, outnumbered and weaponless, Conan seems to be in big trouble until an apparition of an old man appears and gestures towards a rotted tree stump. Inside, Conan finds a glowing sword that gives him a vision of a demon forging it when Conan grasps it, He swiftly turns the magical-seeming blade on his pursuers, and they flee leaving Conan to ponder the odd turn of events. After recovering his horse, Conan continues his journey and the next day comes across a girl being drawn and quartered by some villagers for thievery. Conan intervenes and rides off with the girl, who admits she stole some crusts of bread, and she seduces Conan. After he falls asleep, she tries to sneak away with the sword while Conan continues to have visions of the elderly man in scarlet robes and the magical sword. She is captured by the thieves Conan rousted days before, who had been waiting for the opportunity to attack. She cries for help, and Conan awakens in time to fight them off. Angry at the girl, he sends her away and heads toward the mountainous tower he has seen in his vision. The girl follows him, however, and when he attempts to scale a mountain a small avalanche threatens to dislodge her and a very annoyed Conan finds himself saving her again. They reach the summit and a cave, and while exploring, ghostly, smokey emerge from the rocks in the image of the thieves Conan had just killed. They are impervious to injury until Conan realizes they fear light, and Conan keeps them at bay with a torch. They find a glass sarcophagus with the scarlet-robed mage inside, and somehow proximity to Conan's sword wakens him, and he warns Conan and the girl of an unstoppable evil...

Reprinted

 * The Chronicles of Conan 22 - Reavers in the Borderland and Other Stories