Beyond the Black River

Robert E. Howard

Sinopse

"Beyond the Black River" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard. A young settler named Balthus encounters Conan in the forests slaying a forest devil. Accompanying the young man back to the Fort, Conan finds the body of a merchant ensorcelled by a Pictish wizard named Zogar Sag and slain by a swamp demon.

The Fort Tuscelan Commander, Valannus, is a desperate man and asks Conan to slay Zogar Sag before he raises the Picts against the whole borderlands. Taking a hand picked team of scouts and Balthus, Conan sets off stealthily in canoes. Balthus is captured and most of Conan's men slaughtered in an ambush.

Balthus and one of the Scouts are tied to stakes and the scout is sacrificed by Zogar Sag to one of his jungle creatures. Before Balthus can meet a similar fate, Conan sets the Pictish village on fire and the two flee into the woods. Conan tells Balthus of the cult of Jhebbal Sag, now forgotten by most. Once all living things worshipped him when men and beasts spoke the same language. Over time men and most beasts forgot his worship. Zogar Sag has not, however, and can control those few animals and creatures who also remember. And they are on Conan's trail now.

Conan is able to neutralize them using a symbol he once noticed, and the pair hurry to return to the Fort to warn them of the impending Pictish assault, but they are too late.

They then go to warn the settlers that the Picts have crossed the river and are raiding. They are joined by Slasher, a feral dog formerly owned by a settler who had been slain by the Picts. Balthus is sent on to warn settlers of the coming Pict raid, and Conan parts from him to warn a group of settler who had gone to gather salt. Balthus warns the settlers, and—accompanied by Slasher—makes a stand against the coming Pict raiders. Their sacrifice delays the Picts and give the settlers time to reach safety. Conan manages to warn the salt-gathering party in time, but finds he has been marked for death by the gods of darkness for misusing the symbol of Jhebbal Sag. In the end Conan triumphs, but the fort is lost.

The story ends in a tavern. A survivor tells Conan about the courageous act of Balthus and Slasher, and how their final stand had delayed the Picts just barely long enough for the settlers to reach safety. Upon hearing of the fight, Conan vowed to take the heads of ten Picts to pay for Balthus' sacrifice, along with seven heads for the dog, who was "a better warrior than many a man."

Disponível desde: 19/12/2023.

Comprimento de impressão: 89 páginas.

Outros livros que poderiam interessá-lo

Brutal Desires - Enemies to...

Drew J Kyle

A star quarterback with a legacy to uphold. A fiery activist with a past to avenge. The line between love and hate is about to snap.

Caelen "Cael" Holt has spent his life a pawn in his family’s game, a golden boy with a secret. He's a star quarterback with a cold exterior, and the only thing he craves is to escape. But his carefully constructed world is shattered when a campus protest pits him against the one person who sees right through his carefully crafted mask: Rhys Thorne.

Rhys Thorne is driven by a need for justice, fueled by a deep-seated anger at the company that ruined his family. He sees Cael as the physical embodiment of the corruption he despises. So when fate forces them into the same dorm room, their rivalry explodes into a war of words, turning their shared space into a tense battlefield.

But in the quiet hours after the shouting, something else begins to simmer beneath the surface—a raw, undeniable attraction that defies logic. As their feud becomes a public spectacle, Rhys and Cael are forced to choose between the roles they’ve always played and a partnership that could change everything.

Step into the visceral, high-stakes world of Brutal Desires, a story where genuine connection can break down the most deeply ingrained biases. Told in a dual first-person point of view, you'll feel the sting of their witty insults, the heat of their rising tension, and the raw, vulnerable power of their love. For fans of enemies-to-lovers romance who crave a story with a powerful political backdrop, this book is for you.

Will their brutal pasts be their undoing, or will they finally find a future worth fighting for? Find out in Brutal Desires.

Ver livro

The Alpha Who Saved Me

Stacy Rush

They came in and wiped out my pack, leaving me an orphan at the age of fifteen, but then Alpha Declan came in and saved me, bringing me into his own pack. I've been living with the Storm River pack for three years now, training and learning how to fight, so when the time comes, I can kill the Alpha that took my family and pack away from me.But what do you do when you start to fall for the one who saved you to begin with? The one that took you under his wing when you had nothing left? The one who kissed you first, and made you feel things that you didn't feel before? I shouldn't be with him; he isn't my mate. I've yet to scent my mate, but Declan is too delicious to pass up. He's already saved me once, but can he save me from falling for him when I know my Goddess-given mate is out there somewhere?
 
I feel us moving and then I’m being placed on the hood of his Tesla. This puts me so my core is up against his hardness, and oh my Goddess, he feels monstrous! It’s a good thing that I’m not his mate, because I don’t think I’d be able to take it. It doesn’t stop me from rubbing against it, though, as tingles begin to form, and I moan.“That’s it, sweetheart, rub yourself against me and come for me. I want to see what you look like when you fall apart in my arms.” His command washes over me and I come instantly.

Ver livro