Conan's horse is startled by a snake, and when Conan is thrown from the fleeing horse, the snake bites his hand. Conan chops the snake in half but succumbs to the venom. He awakens, in chains, upon a camel, and his captor, Rasto, explains he intends to sell Conan as a slave. Conan beats the hell out of the man but in the process, the key to the chains is lost in the desert sands. As the two are chained together, Conan is forced to take the misshapen trader with him on the only remaining camel. They find a large city, but as they enter, doors and windows slam shut. With nowhere to go, they decide to sleep in the streets, but their rest is interrupted by a gigantic slug. Rasto is devoured, but in the process, the chain snaps and Conan tumbles free. He hears Rasto's cries and follows the slug