6. Tor Conan #21, Conan the Free lance - Part 3

Chapters 11-15

Hok and Conan have made their escape and reunited with the other tree folk, they cross a large oasis in the desert where they take a rest. Cheen inquires as to how Conan performed the rescue, and in exchange for telling he asks how she hopes to find the seed, to which we learn she is magically attuned.. if she can but get close enough to it she can track it anywhere. Conan recommends not staying too long at the oasis as he rightly assumes Thayla is not the type to just let them leave.

Kleg has made it to relative saftey and is nearly back to Dimmas fortress but is taking too long for Dimma's Liking. Good thing for Kleg that Dimma dosen't know he's stopped for a bite to eat and a few refreshing beverages. As Dimma has invoked some magic and called to him several mermaid like skreeches and The seamonster-esque Kralix to find Kleg and escort him back at once. Though this escort will not arrive too soon for dimmas liking, it is possible Kleg wishes it was already here. After his night of revelry the Pili under Rayk's command attack the city he is in.

Following hot on the trail of Conan and the treefolk are Thayla and her pursuit party, acknowledging that Humans have to drink water or die, they know they will stop at the oasis. Though instead of attacking them there, she opts to move on through the desert and lay an ambush for them. It is a well set ambush, exactly as Thayla wanted, but she hadn't counted on the uncanny abilities of the Cimmerian who spots three Pili crouched on the hillside a few moments before the trap is sprung.

Back at the city, Kleg is desperately trying to find a way out of his predicament. And then the Cavalry Arrives, the Pili now have to contend with The Kralix and Skreeches. Kleg though is unsure what this portends, not knowing if these creatures are friends or foes, he decides to flee during the confusion. As he prepares himself to leave, he realizes that the talisman is gone and despairs. Little does he know but a local wine sop has found the gem and plans to sell it, but before he can he to loses it.. It seems the sacred seed is now well and truly lost.

Due to Conan's warning the ambush is mostly foiled and devolves into a fairly straightforward battle. One which the Pili are on the losing end of it. Her party along with the treefolk break up after the battle and independently encounter the earlier fight between Rayk's pili and the group which Kleg had left to stall them. And the groups are now headed towards Karatas, the village which Kleg has returned to in the hopes of finding some evidence of the Sacred Seed.