Conan shows up at the entrance to Unos's palace with a covered cage, demanding to see the regent to give him a gift. He pushes his way into the palace, and a bored Unos allows him to speak. Conan pulls the sheet aside to reveal a bizarre, magical, talking bird, who informs Unos that Stefanya, rightful ruler of Phalkar, still lives, and that the previous regent was killed in a plot instigated by the court wizards, Thalkalides and Elviriom. The bird also claims that Unos is an unnatural creation of demonic magic, formed through the powers of the demons Belthamquar and Thelonia. Although the wizards demand Conan's immediate death, Unos halts the guards, as Conan has opened his eyes to the wizards' potential treachery - if they plotted the death of one regent, why not another? Away from the ca