Conan the Barbarian 71

Major Characters

 * Conan (Last appearance in CB-70; next appearance in CB-72).
 * Belit (Last appearance in CB-70; next appearance in CB-72).

Minor Characters

 * Belit's crew (Many appeared last in CB-70; many appear next in CB-72). M'Gora and Kawaku named.
 * Akkheba (Last appearance in CB-70; dies in this issue).
 * Aluna (Last appearance in CB-70; body seen in this issue).
 * Auro and his pirates (Last appearance in CB-70; no further appearances to date).
 * Ashtoreth (First and only appearances to date). Immortal woman mistaken for the goddess Ashtoreth. Real name Astarta.

Location

 * The island city of Kelka.

Time Frame

 * A day

Synopsis
As Conan and Belit fume in the dungeons over the trickery of Akkheba, they are rescued by M'Gora and Kawaku, who have found a secret passage into the cells. While Belit wants to return to the Tigress and make good their escape, Conan wants to return and punish Akkheba and steal enough to make the detour worthwhile. Although Belit, at first, is jealous that Conan only wants to rescue Aluna, she comes around and they return to the city. After fighting and killing several guards they find the priest, who has already sacrificed Aluna, but Akkheba escapes the pair. Continuing their search through the castle's passages, they find a young woman, Astarta, who reveals herself to be Ashtoreth, or at least, the island priests portray the immortal foreigner as such, and they have imprisoned and abused her for generations. Belit, thoroughly angry now, kills Akkheba and with the priest dead, Ashtoreth's powers return and she calls the seas down on the island. Meanwhile, Kawaku has found Auro's pirates moored on the far side the island and encouraged their attack on the city as a distraction. Conan, recognizing that the island is now a deathtrap leads his people back to the ship and they make their escape.

Reprinted

 * Conan Saga #87
 * The Chronicles of Conan Volume Nine: Riders of the River-Dragons and Other Stories