In one of the best of the original Conan books, the barbarian joins a band of Pirates led by a wild woman captain named Belit. In their last adventure, the ship goes up a dark, poisonous river to the ruins of a lost jungle city. There, they confront the last degenerative member of a ancient race in the form of a winged killer ape. The creature manages to kill all the pirates, including the beautiful Belit. Conan gains revenge by destroying the beast, then gives his first love a viking-like funeral by burning her on beloved ship. Here is my morphed rework of the monster.