Traveling through a remote Zamorian village while returning to Shadizar, Conan ends up in the middle of a sorcerer's tax collecting scam. The village has not paid its 40 pieces of gold, so the sorcerer sends a demon-tiger to collect. Conan battles, and loses against, the tiger, but it decides not to kill the barbarian and slinks off, changing into its true shape, a beautiful woman. The townsfolk tell Conan that she is the daughter of the sorcerer, Zukala. The girl, Zephra, returns to her father but for some reason is so pale snd sickly she falls into her father's arms. Meanwhile, Conan agress to slay the sorcerer in return for a sword that had caught his eye. Conan sneaks into Zukala's fortress and watches as the sorcerer summons a demon, Jagta-Noga, to punish the villagers. Conan is discv