Conan rides into Belverus searching for employment as a sell-sword. Unfortunately, he arrives just as a wild bull rampages through the street. A young acrobat first distracts the bull, and Conan finishes it off by snapping its neck. It turns out the bull was released by Conan's old acquaintance Murilo. Murilo invites Conan and the acrobat, who is actually a girl named Tara, to join his Crimson Company, who are heading to Ronnoco. On the trip, Conan gains new armor and a spiffy red cape, and Murilo entertains Conan and Tara with a tale from the time of King Kull, of a pair of worshippers of a Scorpion God who were attacked by a servant of the Black Shadow. The servant of the Black Shadow was killed by the bite of a scorpion despite the power of his magic ring, and the ring was buried undern