Rahan. Episode Twenty-One. The Cliff of Sacrifice. by Roger Lecureux. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

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Episode Twenty-One.

The Cliff of Sacrifice.

Rahan knew what a strange appearance "Those-who-walk-upright" take on, long after being bound for the "Territory of shadows".
The discovery of these skeletons at the foot of this cliff still amazed him.

Was not that which had been the wrists and ankles of these men still tied with fine vines?

These hunters were probably punished by their clan and thrown from above!
But why? Rahan wants to know!!

Page Two:

A moment later, aiding himself by the roughness and the bushes embedded in the faults, the son of Crao was climbing the rock face.

As agile as "Those-who-live-in-the-trees", the monkeys, he reached the crest of the cliff.

He had just hoisted himself onto the plateau when.
Oh! Rahan should have been wary!
Armed with maces and rocks, the hunters watched him silently.

Your gazes are those that are cast on the enemy!
But Rahan is not an Enemy!

He does not fight with "Those-who-walk-Upright", His brothers!
A wild clamor covered his words. The clan rushed at him.

Page Three:

Despite his strength Rahan could not resist this ferocious assault.
Some hands mastered him, others snatched his knife.

Others tied vines to his ankles and his wrists.
Rahan is not your Enemy!

The "Tiger-God" will decide!
Each time the leaves come back to the forest trees, the cliff clan sacrifices one of its own!

Capturing Rahan allows us to make our offering to the "Tiger-God" by sparing one of our brothers!

The son of Crao understood that he was going to join the "Territory of Shadows", like those he had discovered at the foot of the cliff!!

Page Four:

He braced himself, resisting the hunters who pushed him towards the void.
But his shackled limbs made his efforts in vain.

Two steps from the void the hunters threw him forward.
And that was his downfall!

He saw the ground rising towards him where the remains of the hunters sacrificed before him lay.
He caught a glimpse of the wide river.

His body went through a thick bush, which slowed his vertiginous fall somewhat.

He fell again, flush with the rock face.
Rahan goes to rejoin Crao.

Page Five:

But this day was not, for Rahan, that of the "Great voyage to the land of shadows"!
He smashed the branches of a shrub rooted in the rock.

And while the shock ought to have been fatal, and while his skull should have broken.
The son of the fierce ages was only stunned!
Schronch!

Accept the offering of the Cliff Clan "Tiger God".
And spare our hunters until the next leaf season!

And this strange thing Rahan wore on his belt!?
A magic item, no doubt?
The Chief of the clan examined the ivory knife.

This primitive being did not know that it was a weapon, and how useful it could be.
It is right to return the property of those who go to the land of shadows!

Page Six:

The man solemnly dropped the knife into the void.

And Rahan caught a glimpse of the yellowish reflection of the ivory.
He saw his weapon fall, the blade turned towards him.

Would he be killed by his own knife?
No! He rolled onto his side.

And the blade stuck in the ground, two fingers from his throat!
Shrpak!
You will help Rahan to free himself!

Rahan will not experience the fate of these unfortunates!
Between the cliff and the great river, the shriveled skeletons were a macabre warning.

Page Seven:

Not far away a roar arose that the son of Crao knew was the “Tiger-God”!
A “Gora”!

The tiger with monstrous canines appeared.
Rahan had already faced similar beasts, but only when he had been free to move.

The "Gora" approached slowly, certain that its shackled prey would not escape.
Rahan will probably die.

But he will not die without a fight!
Accustomed to the worst dangers, the son of Crao never resigned himself!

He dragged himself on his stomach, and grabbed the handle of his knife between his teeth.
Rahan has a tooth as formidable as yours "Gora"!!

Page Eight:

When the animal leapt, he rolled on himself, avoiding the claws.
The red chest stood, drawn up above him.

His head dodged the paw that sought his face.
And his mouth, armed with the knife, delivered the first blow.

On the cliff the clan gazed in amazement at this man who, feet and hands tied, dared to resist the "Tiger God"!

The son of Crao struggled fiercely under the beast that pinned him to the ground.
The knife once again struck the monster's side.

And Rahan thought his jaw was broken!
The "Gora" had thrown itself back, tearing the knife from his teeth!
Rahan is Lost! He did not touch the heart!

Page Nine:

The tiger moved away with the blade still in its side.
But Rahan knew he would attack even more furiously.

The river!
The River can save Rahan!

The son of the fierce ages was trying to reach this water he knew was dreaded by the "Gora".
Growling and roaring, the wild beast gathered to leap.

But he did it a second too late.
Relaxing his bound legs Rahan had just thrown himself into the river!

Ra-ha-ha!
The clamor of victory smothered the roar of the "Gora", who dared not venture into the water.

Page Ten:

But the son of Crao was not saved.
With his feet and hands tied, it was difficult for him to stay on the surface.

And to resist the prevailing current.
On one side, the cliff that plunged into the river was unapproachable.
It offered no accessible refuge.

On the other side, the shore was denied to him by the "Tiger God", who followed him stubbornly.

His limbs shackled.
The cliff.
The "Gora".
The current.
Anyone other than Rahan would have despaired, but Rahan never despaired!!

His chest puffed up with air, he kept himself on the surface of the waves.
Advancing in restless spasms, moving his knees.

Page Eleven:

The tiger, on the bank, always made a disturbing escort.
The knife stuck in his side fueled his rage.

The current became less strong and Rahan saw, in the middle of the river, a rocky island on which he could take a pause.

With only his hobbled legs, he pushed himself jerkily and with difficulty towards this refuge, when.
Everything is against Rahan!
Everything!
Everything!

Just then, the tall reeds on the shore parted. A crocodile had seen him, and was swimming towards him!

Could he climb onto the islet before the saurian reaches him?

Courage, Rahan!
You did not escape the clutches of the Claws of the "Gora" to die under the teeth of the "monster-with-wood-skin"!

Page Twelve:

The islet was very close, but he had to sink to avoid the monster.
Who pursued his course for a moment!

When the saurian turned around, Rahan was crawling on the refuge.
Or rather he dragged himself there, on his back, on his stomach.

Helping himself with his shoulders and his knees, he was bruised by the edges of the rocks.

The "Wood-Skinned Monster" is as tenacious as the "Gora"!

The crocodile, in its turn, hoisted itself heavily on the islet!
Its little eyes stared at the panting man between the rocks.

The same desire to live stimulated the son of Crao.
Back “Wood-Skin”, back!!

Page Thirteen:

Whipping the rocks with its Enormous tail the saurian watched Rahan.
As the little "Tiger-god" had, he thought that this man was at his mercy.

But when he lunged forward the man was faster.
His monstrous mouth met only emptiness!
Crak!

Plak!
Rahan, who had thrown himself aside to dodge the attack, had lost his balance.
The rocks between which he had fallen protected him from a terrifying blow of his tail.

And the son of fierce ages suddenly felt under his feet the weapon he was hoping for.
Rahan knows how the Swamp Clan gets rid of "Wood-skins"!

When the enormous, open mouth fell on him, his feet rose, plunging the solid branch into it!

Page Fourteen:

Its jaws locked, the monster had thrown itself back into the waves, abandoning the islet to this man-demon.

Rahan, observed with a smile his shoulders bruised by the rocks.
If the rocks cut Rahan's skin.

They can also sever his bonds.
The sharp edge, in fact, easily sheared the vine fibers.

Ra-ha-ha!
An instant later, the son of Crao had the liberty of movement.

Over there, on the shore, the "Gora" was still rumbling.
Rahan can, Rahan must, take back his knife!

Page Fifteen:

Since childhood, the ivory weapon was his only asset.
With value inestimable in these fierce times.
Rahan will take back his knife! Even if he has to strangle with his hands!

But it was difficult for him to pull himself up onto the bank!
At each attempt the clawed paws almost cut his throat.

A network of roots finally allowed him to set foot on the bank.
Rahan is coming "Gora"!
He will defeat you as he defeated the "Skin-of-Wood"!

The "Tiger-God" rumbled.
He gathered himself up when the man armed himself with a forked branch.
Attack “Gora”!
Rahan is waiting for you!

The beast jumped up but was brutally pushed back.
The knife had not touched any vital point, and the animal retained all its formidable strength.

Page Sixteen:

He savagely freed himself from the forked branch which pinned him to the ground.
And Rahan had to step back to parry a new assault.

Rahan will not kill the "Gora" with this branch!
But, if he is as skillful as Crao was.
There will be another way!

An idea suddenly came to the son of Crao.
When the beast went on the attack.

He struck him in flight!
Schlak!

His aim was perfectly accurate!
Under his terrible blow the ivory knife penetrated entirely into the side of the monster!
Ra-ha-ha!
The blade, this time, had reached the heart of the "Gora".
The clamor of Rahan covered the last roar of the "Beast-God".

Page Seventeen:

An instant later.
Crao would be proud of his Son Rahan!

He felt with emotion the claws of the necklace that his father had once given him.

Had he not, hands and feet tied, confronted the terrifying "Gora"?
Had he not, hands and feet tied, confronted "skin-of-wood", who was, over there, still in trouble?

A certain pride overwhelmed him.
Nothing can defeat "Those-Who-Walk-Upright" when they hold on to hope and show courage!

Shouts rose in the distance, at the bottom of the cliff of sacrifices.
The clan searches for Rahan!

Page Eighteen:

And Rahan hates to fight with "Those-who-walk-upright"!
The forest was near, which offered him a place of refuge.

Shortly after, in ambush in the thickets, he saw the clan approach the cliff.
The hunters rushed towards the dead tiger.

The "Gora" was not a god, since Rahan killed Him!!
We feared a being who was made only of flesh and blood!

No longer, when the leaves return to the branches of the trees, will our Clan have to sacrifice one of its own!
Never again!

A kind of joy passed over this clan, whose hunters murmured the name of "Rahan" to each other with admiration.

Page Nineteen:

Where are you Rahan?
Where are you, who survived the "Sacrifice?"
Where are you who defeated the "Gora", and triumphed over the great river?

Clamors and pleas redoubled.
Show yourself Rahan!
Come back among us, man-god!
We will be your faithful!

But the son of Crao could not hear them anymore.
Light and fast, he was already far, leaping in the thickets.
Each season, when the leaves repopulate the forests, a hunter will owe his life to Rahan!
Rahan saw himself again, hurled from the top of the cliff of sacrifice.
His heart beat happily at the thought that a man would never know this fate again.

Page Twenty:

Once again he had taught "Those-who-walk-upright" something.
His brothers.
Other territories awaited him where he would adventure tomorrow.

Ha-ha-ha!
So you don't want to share your domain with Rahan!
Flocks of birds flew from the big tree where he was going to spend the night.

Only a few monkeys remained, observing with curiosity this being which looked so much like "Those-who-live-in-the-trees".

A sound like a volcano thundered.
In the distance, Rahan thought of the heart of the blue mountain that had once annihilated his horde.

And that made him the sole survivor, and the son of all clans, of all hordes.
He fell asleep on this thought.
One hand on his necklace of claws.
The other on his ivory cutlass.

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