Conan the Barbarian 10

Major Characters

 * Conan (Last appearance in CB-9; next appearance in CB-11).

Minor Characters

 * Jenna (Previous appearance CB-9; next appearance CB-11).
 * Aron (First appearance; next appearance CB-11 ). Corinthian captain.
 * Burgun (Previous appearance CB-8; dies in this issue).
 * Igon (First appearance; next appearance CB-11). Corinthian thief.
 * Nabonidus (First appearance; next appearance CB-11). The Red Priest and ruler of the city.

Location

 * Corinthia.

Time Frame

 * About a week. This story takes place at least a month after CB-8.

Synopsis
Conan and Jenna reach a Corinthian city-state, but run into some trouble trying to enter. The guards are distracted by a patrol chasing a pair of thieves, and when Conan gets in the way of their arrows, they turn their wrath on him. He is saved in turn by the thieves, as they help him escape onto the roofs, unfortunately leaving Jenna behind, though they first tell her to meet them at the Temple of Amu. It turns out one of the thieves is Burgun, whom Conan briefly allied with in the lost city Lanjau. Burgun, Conan and the third man, Igon, visit the temple of Anu, the priest of which had hired the thieves to rob the Red Temple. Conan reunites with Jenna, and decides to help Burgan on his thieving runs, always staying one step ahead of Captain Aron. Finally, the duo targets the secret ruler of the city, the Red Priest Nabonidus. Meanwhile, Captain Aron traces the thieves back to the Temple of Anu, and the priest there reveals Nabonidus to be the next victim. Aron sets a trap and Burgun is captured. Igon, more interested in Jenna, doesn't seem to care his partner is imprisoned and refuses to help Conan break him out. Burgan is hanged, but Conan notes Aron meeting with the priest in the window of the Temple of Anu. Angered beyond belief, Conan confronts the priest, who summons Anu himself - a red humanoid bull-god. The priest is protected from Anu's rage by as amulet, but loses that protection when Conan snatches the amulet from around the priest's neck. Anu goes on a rampage, growing larger and larger until it takes the priest in hand and crushes him. Turning wraith-like, Anu grows hundreds of feet tall and vanishes into the heavens. The priest, near death, is helped along by a blow from Conan's sword. Conan returns to the gallows, slits the throat of the guard, cuts down his friend's body, burns the scaffold to the ground, and buries Burgun outside the town.

Reprinted

 * Conan Classic #10
 * Conan Saga #4
 * Essential Conan
 * The Chronicles of Conan Volume Two: Rogues in the House and Other Stories