Savage Tales #4

In "Night of the Dark God," Conan returns to his homeland of Cimmeria only to find his childhood love, Mala, taken by Vanir raiders. Pursuing them by sea, he stumbles upon a shipwreck littered with dead Vanir and Picts, and takes a mysterious dark idol before journeying to the Isle of Swords. There, he confronts Thorfel the Fair, who is set to marry Mala—only for her to take her own life rather than submit. Conan slays Thorfel and finds unexpected aid from a band of Picts seeking the idol’s return.

In the heat of the Crusades, the Saracen warrior El Alemein—now aware of his true Frankish heritage—steps forward to defend King Richard the Lion-Hearted. When Saladin challenges the king to single combat, El Alemein takes up the sword in his place, proving his valor on the battlefield. The king, impressed by his courage and lineage, knights him and bestows the title Lord O'Dare.

In "The Dweller in the Dark," Conan, now Captain of the royal guard and lover to Queen Fatima of Zahmahn, finds his position tested when the queen discovers him with the servant girl Yaila. Cast into the dungeon to face the Dweller in the Dark, the two escape—only for Conan to make a fateful choice that upends the city’s traditions. With Zahmahn bound by law to a female ruler, Conan names Yaila the new queen, setting a new course for the realm.