14. Tor #1, Conan the Invincible by Robert Jordan.

From Hyborean Apocrypha

Part 1, Chapters 1-5

Once again we start our story with an Evil Magician. Amanar the Necromancer is currently plotting away deep within his fastness in the Eastern branch of the Kezankian Mts. He is currently wandering through his labyrinthine halls, followed loyally by his Saurian henchmen. His goal is an especially deep and dark chamber where he may undertake sacrifices to the loathsome demon-gods which he pays homage to in return for his powers. He has need of their protection, as he has betrayed the mysterious "Black Ring" and they are looking for revenge.

In Shadizar, Conan is having a bit of a tiff with his current doxie. While he argues with the tavern trull, the Landlord begins telling him the latest gossip. Another caravan has been attacked it seems, somewhere between Zamora and Turan. Allegedly its the work of a mysterious bandit known as the Red Hawk. This seems a bit too much for the Barbarian to think about, he's short on coin himself and needs a big score.. But an Easy score. After this he interrupts several Iranistanis from accosting a girl in the tavern, but she offers him no thanks for the help.

Girl rescued, and wine cup in hand, Conan goes back to thinking, he decides that if he were to rob the King of Zamora.. it wouldn't actually be theft.. after all wasn't it he, Conan, who freed the King from his belittled station under the Wizard Yara's thumb? Though he's sure the King will not see it this way, after all the King has no idea it was Conan who toppled the secretive Tower of the Elephant. Lost in thought, Conan is approached by a man claiming to be a merchant. This merchant wants to contract Conan to steal some amulets which were recently given to the King of Zamora by Yildiz, King of Turan. Conan at first hesitates, since this could jeopardize his own plans.. but the mysterious man offers him 10,000 gold pieces and that’s to great of an offer to refuse.

Unbeknown to Conan this man is an agent of the Black Ring and needs these amulets in order to gain his revenge against Amanar the Necromancer. Not that it would likely bother the Barbarian over much, as he is now under obligations to get them one way or another. He may be a thief but Conan always follows through on his bargains, so he makes his preparations to break into the King's palace.

Just a few days later, he scales the palace walls, but thinking he would be entering an empty room is discovered nearly immediately by a slave who was in hiding. Conan offers to take this girl with him in exchange for her silence. But during the attempt something goes seriously wrong, Conan is discovered and he has to fight his way past a guard. He disposes of the body but then mysterious things occur and he wakes up back in the Tavern.

Splitting headache from a hangover, the landlord informs him of the theft at the Palace, Conan protests his innocence and the Landlord quips about how Conan was so drunk the night before he couldn't have robbed a blind man let alone the palace. After doing some checking, Conan discovers the slave girl, Amulets and all are on their way east in a caravan. He has two bargains to keep, one to the merchant and another to the slave girl. So off to the east he heads.