Complete Chronicles of Conan (2). The Phoenix and the Sword.

[via Wikipedia]

This is in fact the first story of the Conan Corpus.

Writen in 1932 and published in Weird Tales, December 1932. It is a story set in the late days of Conan when he reach the throne of Aquilonia, becoming their king.

The adventure starts when Ascalante is searching a magic ring that could give his slave's powers back. The slave is no other that Thoth-Amon, a dangerous nemesis of Conan. Knowing this, Ascalante is using his influence over the mighty magician to blackmail him to use his powers in his own interest.

Ascalante plans to make a coup d'etat by killing Conan and usurping his position as King. To achieve that, Ascalante joins forces with four rebel nobles of Aquilonia that are nostalgic of Numedides, the late king of Aquilonia, slayed by Conan, a foreigner. 

This life-attempt against Conan is stopped by a ghost, Epemitreus the Sage, that warns Conan and give him a seal of Mitra (the Phoenix) to alter his sword and allow him to fight magical creatures. 

Ascalante regains the ring and Thoth-Amon casts a demon to attack Conan. At the same time the rebels try to kill Conan. So many people in one room.

Conan and the Demon kill the four rebels and Ascalante. Then Conan, with the aid of the magic sword slays the demon. Everything seems fine, but Thoth-Amon is free.

More about The Phoenix and the Sword:

• Read it online at the Wikisource and the PGA 
• Conan Wiki
• Wikipedia
• Dreamers
• Image taken from Wikipedia