Conan the Barbarian 31

=The Shadow in the Tomb=

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous appearance CB-30; next appearance CB-32).

Minor Characters

 * Malthuz (First and only appearance to date). Turanian Captain.
 * Hobar (First and only appearance to date). Hill-men leader.
 * Toruk (First and only appearance to date). Hill-men brute.

Location

 * Turan

Time Frame

 * One day.

Synopsis
A group of hill-men attack Conan's party, whittling them down to a handful of men. Captain Malthuz calls for a retreat and the group takes refuge in a cave. The hill-men, trap them inside, and offer a bargain: a Turanian champion will fight a hill-man to the death. Malthuz accepts the challenge, and states that only magic sword could hope to beat the hill-man champion, Toruk. This causes Conan to reminisce finding a magic sword some time ago. When sundown approaches, Conan knocks Captain Mathuz out and takes his place. Conan is outmatched physically, but manages to direct the mountainous hill-man to a pile of precariously placed boulders. Conan causes a landslide and buries Toruk, who happens to be carrying the same magical sword Conan found some years ago. The Turanians are allowed to leave in peace.

Major Characters

 * Conan (Last chronological appearance in second story of SSOC-182; next chronological appearance CB-1).

Location

 * Vanaheim

Time Frame

 * A few hours.

Synopsis
Conan is scouting when he encounters and fights a bear. Both man and beast fall through the ice into a cavern and Conan, after lighting a fire, discovers he is in a large chamber. A skeletal hand emerging from a stab of stone clutches a sword. Conan takes the sword, and his shadow comes to life and attacks. Conan manages to defeat the shadow by snuffing out the flames and diving out of the cavernous chamber. He leaves the cursed sword behind.