Complete Chronicles of Conan (7). The Pool of the Black One.

[via Wikipedia]

Conan starts his water adventures with this short story. It is about a barbarian that swings far and away from a island in the Western part of the known world into a pirate vessel. There he comes aboard, fights for a place in the crew and the recognition of a bloody captain Zaporavo and his maiden, Sancha (a very Spanish name, indeed)

The pirates search treasures in a remote island where they try to gain new and better plundering. But instead, some of the sailors, included Sancha, disappear. This situation brings to an edge the relation between the captain and Conan, each one blaming the other this difficult situation. All leading into a duel that Conan wins, of course, and Zaporavo dies.

Aided by some pirates, Conan finds the captors. They were human long time ago, but not now. The bathed in a pool and transformed themselves into impossible creatures that fight Conan. This time he is captured and bathed in this coursed waters. He transforms onto a proto-wereman and fights back, killing the monsters. That behavior of Conan ends the power of the pool and makes a destruction of the island.

The remaining crew abandon the land and makes Conan their captain. Now he claims Sancha as his maiden and laughs at her arrogant manners.

More about the Pool of the Black One.

• Read it Online at Wikisource and PGA.
• Conan Wiki.
• Wikipedia.
• Image taken from Wikipedia.