Conan barely escapes the law in Messantia by boarding a ship heading due south. Off the coast of Kush, the ship is unexpectedly boarded by the pirate queen Bêlit and her Black Corsairs. Conan is offered a chance to live if he can defeat the warrior Odongo in battle. Conan is victorious and Odongo dies. Bêlit is impressed by Conan – they quickly become lovers and Conan her second-in-command.; Conan and his friends arrive in Messantia and immediately come into conflict with some cocky members of the Royal guard. Two guards ambush Conan and try to sell him as a slave. Conan breaks loose and hides in the house of fortune teller Momratha, who shows him visions of his future. Meanwhile, Yusuf has killed a captain who harassed Tara, and now they are both on the run. Conan is apprehended but refuses to betray his friends. Fleeing fromn the courthouse, Conan kills the corrupt judge Ephemero Portus. On horseback, Conan leaves the city and leaves his friends behind.; A brief history of the Hyborian Age.