Savage Sword of Conan 71

=The Lurker in the Labyrinth=

Creators

 * Writer: Michael Fleisher
 * Penciller: John Buscema
 * Inker: Ernie Chan
 * Letterer:

Major Characters

 * Conan (Previous chronological appearance in second story of Savage Sword of Conan #185; next chronological appearance in first story of Savage Sword of Conan #78).

Minor Characters

 * Nyad (First and only appearance to date). Prince of Ezar Bar Q'um.
 * Alissa (First and only appearance to date). Princess of Ezar Bar Q'um.
 * Falmarq (First and only appearance to date). Commander of Exar Bar Q'um armies
 * W'alaq Ibn D'bar (First and only appearance to date). Chieftain of the Barolo Hillmen
 * Razak (First and only appearance to date). King of Khumar Rhun
 * V'Harzan (First and only appearance to date). Captain of Khumar Rhun's army
 * Carnek (First and only appearance to date). Ezar Bar Q'um counselor
 * Bernak (First and only appearance to date; dies in this issue). Slave Overseer
 * Leah (First and only appearance to date; dies in this issue). Slave girl

Location

 * Corinthia
 * Ezar Bar Q'um
 * Khumar Rhun

Timeframe

 * Several weeks

Synopsis
At the funeral for King Alexian of Ezar Bar Q'um, Conan considers the rumors he was poisoned by King Razak of neighboring Khumar Rhun. Afterwards, as Prince Nyad considers his ascension, his guard is silently ambushed and slain. Nyad is kidnapped and removed from the city and when Princess Alissa discovers this, she insists Commander Falmarq send the army to find him, but the soldier thinks it wiser to send Conan and his mercenaries. Falmarq follows the signs of a tavern brawl to find Conan, who immediately sets out with his men. Not too long later, the group is attacked by hill bandits, who are relatively easily defeated by Conan's mercenaries. Conan notices one wears an amulet belonging to Nyad, and the man admits he and his crew were hired to kidnap and kill Nyad, but after receiving half the money, instead decided to sell him for even more money to Razak, who they assumed would ransom the prince back to Ezar Bar Q'um. Conan decides he and his men will play the part of slaves to the bandits to gain entrance to Khumar Rhun, as workers are in desperate need to build a gigantic labyrinth Razak is constructing. The hillmen chieftain, W'alaq Ibn D'bar, leads Conan into the walled city and points out the tower where Nyad is likely being held. Indeed, Nyad is in the tower were he is being well treated, considering the circumstances, and where he bonds with a slave girl also from Ezar Bar Q'um. Meanwhile, some soldiers from the city notice Conan has a sword hidden under his saddle and they quickly attack and subdue Conan and his men, taking them all to the dungeons for real. A prisoner recognizes Conan and quietly tells one of the guards, who gets word to King Razak. Razak brings Conan up for an audience, offering to hire Conan away from Ezar Bar Q'um, but Conan will have none of it and is sentenced to slave labor. Back in Ezar Bar Q'um, a messenger arrives with ransom demands, but Carnek, Counselor to the Princess, states they will never give into blackmail, although it turns out that Carnek and Princess Alissa were responsible for poisoning her father and hiring the bandits, and this turn of circumstances suits them just fine, even if they were unplanned. The messenger's head is returned to Khumar Rhun, much to Razak's fury. In the slave pits, Conan is worked and whipped almost unto death, but one of Razak's dwarven jesters, tired of being mere playthings, smuggles Conan an elixir that will eat through his metal chains and he stages a jailbreak, though Conan takes a side trip to kill the slave overseers. Conan then goes to rescue the prince, who insists the slave girl Leah come with them. The dwarf jester who is leading Conan turns out to be working for Razak, and he is leading Conan to the center of the labyrinth. Unfortunately for him, he is unable to slip away and is attacked and killed by the creature that dwells there, a giant octopus-like creature. The others turn and run but one by one are snagged by the tentacles of the creature. Conan fights fiercely and manages to kill the creature, but not before it has pulled Leah into its maw and devoured her. Conan is forced to knock the grieving prince unconscious in order to carry him out of the labyrinth, but Razak, watching through a magical pool, sends his guards to stop him. Conan finds a dead end, but in his time working on the walls, he mixed the mortar poorly, and knew he could push out the stone blocks if necessary, which he does now. He climbs out but is ambushed by the guards, and the unconscious prince takes a spear in the back. Conan fights them off and makes his way out the city to reunite with the former slaves. Days later they arrive back in Ezar Bar Q'um, presenting Nyad's dead body to his sister. Conan taunts the princess and Carnek into triumphantly admitting they arranged everything but when Alissa tries to have Conan arrested, Nyad reveals he's not dead at all, Alissa and Carnek are sent to the dungeons instead. Nyad rewards Conan and sends him off to celebrate while he sits, alone, in his throne.