Rahan. Episode Nine. The Arc of Heaven. by Roger Lecureux. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

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Episode Nine.

The Arc of Heaven.

A few stones fell near the fire where the resin-soaked branches crackled and Rahan understood that he had become the game of primitive hunters.
Clack!

Hairy beings indeed sprang from the thickets, brandishing other stones.

The son of Crao left his knife in its sheath because he hated to kill "Those-who-walk-upright".
But he armed himself with a solid branch.

Page Two:

Rahan means no harm to the "Men-of-the-Night"!
Why do they want to kill Rahan?

Growling wildly, the clan rushed forward.
Rahan will not let himself be knocked out like a boar!

The Branch whipped the fire, throwing a volley of embers on the attackers who fell back screaming in fear.

Ha-ha-ha!
The "Men-of-the-Night" fear fire!
No doubt they don't know the secret!

Let them drop their stones and approach.
Rahan will reveal to them the mystery of the "Burning Wood!"

Page Three:

It was too late when Rahan heard the whistling of the projectile behind him.
Argh!

Everything turned red like the heart of the fire and he did not even hear the shouts of triumph of the clan.

When he came to, his wrists were as sore as his neck.
Because he was tied to a tree.
This magic item did not protect Rahan!

The chief of the clan twisted between his fingers the ivory knife, the use of which he was obviously ignorant.

To hunt and fight, these men only know how to throw stones, like the ancestors of Crao once did!

Page Four:

When all the hunters have returned, Rahan will be put to death!
The captive understood why he was still alive.
They wanted to sacrifice him in front of the assembled horde.

The day was breaking behind the distant mountains that were blurred by a veil of rain.
Rahan will teach you the secret of fire and many other things!

Two of my sons were once devoured by fire!
Cursed are those who make a pact with it!
You will take your secrets with you in death!

And do not expect to be saved by your talisman!
With contempt, the chief had thrown the knife on the ground.

At the very moment that the iridescent disc of the sun crested the mountains a noise arose.
The hunters stood out, silhouetted in the rain.

Page Five:

The hunters are back, Rahan!
The whole horde will participate in your execution!!
Men were already arming themselves with heavy stones.

They will break Rahan's skull and crush his limbs!
The knife was too far away for Rahan to grasp.

And these men would not have permitted him an attempt of that sort!
The land of shadows awaits you Rahan!!

The leader was about to strike the first blow when the captive exclaimed.
If you kill Rahan the sky will open over your heads!
Look on the mountain!

Rahan, who had never seen a rainbow, was as amazed as the members of the horde.
The rainbow of heaven!

Page Six:

But while dread hovered overhead, he had the reflex to use the miraculous phenomenon to his advantage.
Run away! Run away! Hide yourself in the forest!

This invitation was unnecessary.
The panicked groups scattered on all sides.
Rahan is a wizard! He will make the sky open!

The rain had ceased and the rainbow sparkled marvelously on the mountain.
Rahan will discover the mystery of heaven!

The clearing was deserted.
An insect stung Rahan, who was contorting his body desperately to reach the knife.
Buzz! Aie!

When Rahan is free, he will crush you! Uh.
But will Rahan be able to break free!?

Page Seven:

Held to the resinous trunk, Rahan stretched all his limbs.
But his knife remained inaccessible!

Crack!
Enraged, he tried to shake the deep-rooted tree and.
Oh!

A dead branch fell close to him.
Rahan knows how to bring his knife closer!

And a moment later he could indeed reach the ivory weapon.

But had to engage in difficult contortions to bring the handle close to his mouth.

Page Eight:

Zizz! Buzz!
You stung for the last time, cursed beast!

Ra-ha-ha!
The bonds fell and the victorious clamor of the son of Crao, awakened the echoes of the great forest.

While the horde remained crouching, worried and silent, fascinated by the fantastic iridescence of the arc in the sky.

Rahan, laughing, was chasing the insect that had harassed him during his captivity.
Buzz! Buzz!
Rahan will catch up with you!!
Oh!

The beast had just disappeared inside a hollow reed!
Ha-ha-ha! This trick won't fool Rahan!
He will dislodge you from there!

Page Nine:

Rahan broke off the reed, and in an instinctive reaction, blew very hard into it.

Oh! Poof!
Violently ejected from the other end of the reed, the insect fluttered towards a branch.

Rahan blew very hard and pushed this beast away.
Rahan can therefore project something else!

Seeing a long thorn, Rahan slipped it into the reed.
The insect, still dizzy, stayed immobile on the branch.

Ha-ha-ha!
For play, Rahan aimed at the beast and puffed.

Page Ten:

Buzz!
Naturally, he did not hit that miniscule target, which immediately vanished.

But the thorn in the bark was a revelation to him.
A man can therefore strike his enemy from a distance thanks to the “wind-of-the-cheeks”.

And Rahan thought, if he throws those thorns whose sting puts you to sleep, he has a silent and formidable weapon!

And so in these fierce times, had just germinated in the mind of Rahan, the idea of what would later be called a "Blowpipe".

But another idea still haunted the son of Crao.
This Gigantic and marvelous arc suspended in the sky.

Page Eleven:

Even Crao, who knew so many things, never spoke to Rahan about the “Arc-of-Heaven”!

The whole horde held their breath when they saw Rahan heading for the mountain.
By the grace of the magic object he has freed himself!

He is not a man but a god!
Watch, he defies the sky!
Rahan was indeed screaming words to the clouds.

Rahan has pierced a hundred mysteries!
He discovers the secret of the "Arc-of-Heaven"!
And he climbed the rock face with astonishing agility.

Rising towards the splendid thing both yellow like the sun, blue like the river.
Pink like the sunset sky, green like the young prairie grasses.

Page Twelve:

The dumbfounded horde followed his ascent.
If Rahan can climb without dying towards the "Heaven-which-opens", our hunters will go up there too!

The son of Crao sometimes helped himself with his knife, clearing a projection to facilitate his climbing.

He reached a plateau where some trees stood.
Here the ground was cracked with deep crevices.

An eagle in his area was disturbed and it suddenly swooped down on him.
Rahan is not afraid of the "Hooked Beak"!

Ah!
But the eagle's beak struck faster than the man's knife.

Page Thirteen:

Knocked to the ground, Rahan grabbed a dead branch.
He struck the eagle on the fly, breaking the neck of the winged monster.

Ra-ha-ha!

The victorious cry turned into a groan of bitterness.
The ivory knife had disappeared!

And Rahan understood that his weapon, escaping him, fell into the nearby crevasse!
He leaned into it and his throat tightened.

It would take a Rahan with the slenderness of a snake to slip in there!
The knife was there on a projection in the wall.
But it was inaccessible!

Page Fourteen:

It was indeed impossible for a man to get into this narrow crack.
Rahan has lost his only possession!
Rahan without his knife, will no longer be Rahan!

And the "Men-of-the-night" this time will not spare Rahan!
The hunters of the horde, still very far away, began to climb the rocks!

Rahan knew how to bring his knife closer to free himself!
This branch will help him try that again!

A moment later Rahan growled in rage.
The branch was too short!

He rushed in search of another branch.
But all were too twisted to enter the fissure!

Page Fifteen:

The cries of the hunters calling out to each other now reached him.
Crack!
Rahan will defend his life as the Blue Mountain clan taught him!

The son of Crao clutched a strong branch from which the resin oozed.
"The Blood-of-the-Trees"!
Rahan should have thought of that sooner!

He broke off the stickiest part and tied a long vine to it.
Rahan will fish for his knife!

Slowly, very slowly, he lowered his line to the ledge.
The cries of the horde kept getting closer.

The wood finally touched the ivory and Rahan's heart stopped beating.
If the knife didn't stick to the resin!

Page Sixteen:

It will fall lower, and disappear forever in the darkness of the deep crevasse!

Rahan drew slowly and the cutlass rose.
But the slightest shock, the slightest bump against the rock could shake it off.

A sweat of anguish beaded on the forehead of the son of fierce ages.
He no longer heard the cries of the hunters.

He thought only of the innumerable battles in which the precious knife had enabled him to emerge victorious.

The ivory weapon brushed against the wall and Rahan would have to avoid any pendulum swings.

Page Seventeen:

Rest Calmly Rahan, he thought. Slowly, very slowly.
The knife, in a moment, would be within reach.

When his fingers closed on the handle of ivory, he fell his heart beating again.

And stood up, triumphant!
Ra-ha-ha!
His clamor which thundered on the plateau mingles with that of the hunters.

Which were springing up from all sides.
The first stones were already falling, here and there.

The "Men-of-the-night" have heavier legs than Rahan's!
They won't catch him!

Page Eighteen:

The wide crevasse he crossed made his pursuers hesitate.
And when the most daring jumped it.

He was already on a ridge on the other side of the verdant mountain, gently sloping down to a river.

Goodbye “Men-of-the-night”!
There was no threat in this salute that he threw, his hand raised to the sky.

But the hunters retreated abruptly, descending the rocks with dread.
What are they afraid of?
What danger makes them flee like this!?

Rahan turned his head, looked up, and understood.
The "Arc-of-Heaven" mysteriously dissipated into the clouds!

Page Nineteen:

They believed that Rahan could make "the rainbow" appear or disappear at will.

And indeed.
He raised his hand and the sky is closing!!
He will annihilate our horde!

It was to lend formidable intentions to the one who had always refused to consider as enemies "Those-who-walk-upright".

Rahan may return to this territory one day.
Maybe then the "Men-of-the-night" will not behave like animals anymore!?

All that remained on the horizon, far beyond the river, was a segment of the "Arc-of-Heaven".

Page Twenty:

This last segment in turn dissipated before the son of Crao had reached the bank of the river.

Rahan could not explain this strange and mysterious phenomenon, whose appearance had kept him alive.

But he felt no fear, and no worry.

Rahan will understand later what he cannot explain today!
Such is his life!

Yes, such was the life of Rahan, son of fierce ages.
Such was the fate of Rahan, who went on the great river to meet other mysteries.

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