Rahan. Episode Forty two. The Demon of the Swamp, by Roger Lecureux. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

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Episode Forty two.

The Demon of the Swamp.

Hum!
Could you not point Rahan in another direction!?
The ivory knife came to rest, its blade pointed towards the disturbing marshes.
The son of Crao growled.

He spun his weapon but the blade, once again, pointed to the murky expanse.
It is good! Since you insist! Rahan will obey!

Shortly after, on a crude skiff, the son of fierce ages went to meet his destiny.

Page Two:

He braced himself against his gaff and the raft bent the reeds, from which screaming birds flew.

Still vapors floated on the muddy waters which were suddenly stirred up with strange swirls.
And Rahan almost screamed in fear.
Rahan dreams!
Only in dreams do real demons arise!

Emerging from the river a fantastic beast was silhouetted in the mist.
The waves that shook the skiff told the son of Crao that it was neither a dream nor a hallucination.

And his instinct told him to stop moving and make no sounds.
He approaches!
The time has come for Rahan to rejoin Crao!

Inert as a dead man, he saw the long neck bend. The hideous mouth parted as it plunged towards the raft.
Rahan will join “The Territory of the Shadows”!

Page Three:

This mouth scented for a moment the man holding his breath and, disdaining him.

Closed on a huge clump of reeds! New eddies rocked the skiff.

And the monster disappeared, as if stuck in the swamps.
The little iguanas which besieged the raft seemed ridiculous to the son of Crao.

Who easily pushed them away with his gaff.
Rahan's ruse succeeded!
The “Long-necked Beast” is not interested in dead prey!

The skiff glided towards the other bank, scaring away the toads lurking on the giant lily pads.

Page Four:

The son of Crao was wrong to think that he was out of danger.
Barely had he jumped onto the soft earth, than the bushes closed in around him!
Rahan was confused.

Then these bushes fell, unmasking hunters.
How dare “Fire-Hair” violate the territory of “Kariak-the-demon”!!

The circle of flint points was impassable.
"Firehair's” name is Rahan!
Rahan did not come to you as an enemy!

Goading the captive with their spears, the hunters were already pushing him into the thickets.
“Ourk-has-only-one-arm” will decide Rahan’s fate!

Rahan should not have obeyed his knife!
A village appeared.
The son of fierce ages immediately noticed the bamboo cages lined up under the foliage.

Page Five:

As he was thinking about his weapon, a man with an amputated forearm came to tear it from the lizard sheath.
You will not need this knife anymore! It now belongs to Ourk!

The hunters told how they had seen the monster of the swamp spare Rahan.
“Kariak-the-demon” was not as generous with Ourk!

The chief of the clan shook his stump with rage.
We will see if "Kariak" will still spare you! Lock him up!!

The cage closed on the son of Crao.
Rahan is not a beast! Release him!! Release him!!

Your cries are no use, brother!
“Ourk-only-has-one-arm” has decided that you will be delivered to the Demon.
And you will be sooner or later!!
What? Who are you?

Page Six:

The young woman locked in the adjoining cage gave a sad smile.
I am Onoo, a girl from the two hills clan.
But the swamp men captured me, like all those in these cages!

And like them I am waiting to be offered as food to “Kariak-the-demon”!
But why, Onoo? Rahan wants to know!

Rahan learned how Ourk, once upon a time, had his arm cut off by the swamp monster.
Since that day he lived in terror of "Kariak".

Ourk could have taken his people to another territory.
But he fears that "Kariak" will find them and decimate the entire clan!

Sometimes long days go by without the demon appearing.
But as soon as he emerges from his mud lair, Ourk orders that a captive be delivered to him!

Page Seven:

Ourk thinks that these offerings appease the anger of "Kariak"!
“Only one arm” is foolish!
Besides, Rahan thinks that "Kariak" does not feed on flesh, but on grasses and reeds!

Rahan is right. “Kariak” does not devour “Those-who-walk-upright”.
But he kills them by crushing their limbs! Oh listen.

Clamors rose from the shore of the marsh.
Two hunters appeared.
“Kariak” Rumbles, Ourk!
His fury is great!
Deliver the girl from “Two-Hills” to him!!

An instant later.
The men of the Marshes are cowards!
They would rather sacrifice a young woman to the demon than fight him!
Let go of Onoo! Take Rahan in her place!

While the captive was being dragged away, Ourk approached.
Would Rahan be keen to join the "Territory of Shadows"?
Let him be patient! His turn will come!!

Page Eight:

The clan leader said no more.
Grabbing his arm, the son of Crao grabbed him, and pinned him to the bamboo door.
Oh!

And recovered his ivory knife.
Rahan could take the life of "one-armed".
But Rahan is not a coward!

Now that he had Ourk, he cut the vines and emerged from his cage.
The hunters who rushed did not dare to intervene.
Give Rahan a torch and a spear! Otherwise!

The leader was suffocating under the relentless grip.
Obey. To. “Fire Hair”. Let him run away.

Rahan does not want to run away!
Rahan wants to save the girl from “Two Hills”!
The son of fierce ages threw Ourk at the feet of his men, seizing the spear and the torch that had been placed near him.

Page Nine:

As he rushed towards the Marshes, Ourk held back his clan.
Let him! "Kariak" will take care of him!

Rahan quickly saw Onoo, on a raft.
Her wrists shackled, she screamed in fear.
Do not move, Onoo! The demon disdains that which does not move!!

But it was too late!
The monstrous head of the “Beast-with-long-neck” emerged from the mud.
Onoo's cries of terror redoubled.

Waving his torch and his spear, the son of Crao went towards “Kariak-the-demon”!
The fearful maw plunged towards him.

But immediately backed away.
The enormous neck bent once again and suddenly straightened up.
And Rahan understood.
“Kariak” is afraid of fire!

Page Ten:

From the bank, Ourk and his men witnessed the astonishing scene.
Rahan resolutely faced the monster and it retreated and retreated.

Ra-ha-ha!
The clamor of the son of fierce ages rolled over the marshes when the monster.
Still retreating into the darkness, forced himself under the mud.

A moment later the ivory blade released Onoo.
Onoo owes her life to Rahan-the-Brave!
Let us flee Rahan! Let us flee this cursed territory!

No! “Ourk-has-only-one-arm” holds other captives in his cages who, like Onoo, will be delivered to "Kariak"!
Rahan will not flee without having delivered them!

Rahan is brave, and also generous!
It is only faithful to the memory of Crao!
And Crao taught him to love “Those-Who-Walk-Upright”!

Page Eleven:

We thought "Firehair" would run away.
The hunters had returned to the village.
An admiring murmur arose when Rahan and Onoo appeared.

Ourk gave a pout of spite.
The feat that the son of Crao had accomplished before the eyes of his men could not undermine his prestige as a leader.
If Ourk still had his two arms!

He would challenge “Firehair”!
You hear Brothers! Ourk Would Face "Firehair" If he had both arms!

Since Ourk wants a fight, he will get it!
With a slight smile, the son of Crao drew his ivory cutlass.
He threw the weapon at the feet of the hunters.
Clonk!

Oonoo had a shiver of worry when.
And, Rahan, like Ourk, will only fight with one arm!
Let your men tie this one to him.

Page Twelve:

Two Hunters firmly restrained, behind his back, the right arm of their companion.
So the fight will be fair Ourk!

The swamp clan circled around the two adversaries.
Onoo remained anxious.
If Rahan is defeated Ourk will be merciless!

In their cages all the captives longed, without daring to hope, for the victory of the unknown "One-with-Fire-Hair".
And the fight began.

Ourk threw himself fiercely on the son of Crao.
He had two advantages over this one.
Besides the habit of his amputation.

His long stump facilitated certain moves, which his opponent was not permitted.
Ha-ha-ha!
Ourk will strike you down!

Page Thirteen:

Ten times the two men rolled to the ground and ten times they got up again.
Covered in sweat and dust, they panted.
"Fire Hair" Should not have taken on this challenge!
Ourk wants to end it!

Ourk rushed forward angrily with his head down.

Rahan made an incredible leap and his legs encircled the leader's neck, brutally stopping the latter's assault.
Argh!

It was impossible for Ourk, pinned to the ground, to free himself from this hold.
In this straitjacket of muscles and nerves it was enough.
Rahan also wants to end it! Do you recognize yourself as defeated!?

Yes, Yes Ooh!
“Fire-hair” has triumphed!
As is the custom of the clan, "Fire-hair” has the right to take the life of Ourk!
It belongs to him!

Page Fourteen:

Yes.
Rahan has the right to kill you!
A hunter held out the weapon which the son of Crao grabbed fiercely!

But Rahan only takes the lives of “Those Who Walk Upright” when they threaten his own!
Get up Ourk!
Rahan spares you!

But he demands that your captives be released!
The son of fierce ages cut the vine that hindered his arm.

No one opposed him when an instant later he cut down the lines that bound the doors of bamboo.
You are free brothers!

The girl from “Two-hills” watched excitedly as the men burst out of the cages.
Thanks to Rahan they will not perish in the mouth of Kariak-the-demon!
Rahan is Happy?
Not yet Onoo! Not yet!

Page Fifteen:

The Ourk clan will always live in fear of the "Long-necked Beast"!
Rahan will only be happy when the Marshes are rid of "Kariak"!

“One-armed” had heard.
Ourk respects your audacity, “Firehair”.
But you should know that Kariak is invulnerable!

No danger is forever insurmountable!
No enemy is forever invulnerable!
And Rahan alone was able to push back “Kariak-the-demon”

Think of what a whole clan could do, united and strong!
A clan whose men have driven fear from their heads and their hearts!

All together we can face killing “Kariak”!
We will follow Rahan!
The ex-captives approved the son of Crao, though Ourk protested

Page Sixteen:

Evil spirits inhabit the body of "Kayak-the-demon" and.
Evil spirits do not exist!
“Kariak” is just a beast of flesh and blood!
We will kill her!

“Fire-hair” is free to send to death those he has delivered!
But Ourk will not launch his brothers into this senseless hunt!

Later.
"Those-from-the-Swamp" will not help you.
Why risk your life for them?
Rahan said that "Kariak" was vulnerable, he must be able to prove it!

There will not be enough of us to pin down "Kariak"!

He meditated thus when.
“Fire Hair” has awakened the courage that was slumbering in us!

Page Seventeen:

All the torches of the clan light the path that will lead us to the “Territory of Shadows”!
Rahan was filled with joy.
“Ourk-has-only-one-arm” running followed by his hunters.
Ourk has thought deeply!
He does not want his family to name him "Ourk-the-coward"!

Ourk will lead the hunt at your side!
His Arm can still strike true and hard!
A glimmer of worry remained in the chef's eyes.

And the son of Crao felt moved.
He loved that “Those who walk upright” could conquer their fear.
If “Fire-hair” must die, Ourk will die with him!

From then on the animation redoubled.
The hunters cleared deep thickets.
Rafts that for moons they had no longer dared to put in the water.

And the flotilla spread out over the black waters of the marshes.
Each skiff carried two men.
One brandished a torch, the other a bundle of spears.

Page Eighteen:

The “Long-necked Beast” suddenly emerged from its mud kingdom, immense, and terrible!
Rahan and Ourk screamed at the same time!
Strike! Strike! Hard!

Twenty spears punctured the sides of the monster whose gigantic tail whipped the mud.
The menacing mouth plunged towards the rafts, but retreated before the waving torches!

Twenty other spears and twenty more were thrown, piercing the neck and the chest.
Take this torch, “Fire-hair”!
Ourk owes a debt to “Kariak”!

Page Nineteen:

Ourk was no longer afraid.
His single arm projected with force and precision the spears handed to him by the son of Crao.
Die demon, die!

And suddenly, Rahan's clamor erupted.
His life escaping through a hundred wounds, "Kariak" slowly sank into the mud.
Ra-ha-ha!

A few swirls shook the skiffs again and the monster disappeared forever.
His blood reddened the surface of the water all the way to the bank.

The "Long-neck Beast" will no longer terrorize the swamp clan!
We owe you a lot, “Fire-hair”. You gave us an example of courage!

That night was a great night. Delivered from the nightmare, the hunters celebrated the son of Crao.
Ourk has guessed what would please Rahan the most!!

Page Twenty:

“Ourk-has-only-one-arm” grabbed a torch.
A moment later, all the bamboo cages were on fire!

Never again will we imprison “Those-who-walk-upright” in cages!
If Rahan is happy, he can stay with us!

Yes, the son of wild ages was happy.
But he could not attach himself to this clan or to any other.
Rahan promised Onoo to take her home!

When he left the territory the calm waters of the swamp were still red, but it was nothing more than the blaze of the sun.

The son of Crao, for once, did not entrust his destiny to his ivory knife.
He had a specific goal.
To protect Onoo throughout the long road that would lead them to the “Two Hills”.

Page Twenty-One:

This protection proved necessary.
Fear not, Onoo!
Rahan does not fear the “Pumas”
After the fantastic confrontation with the "Marsh Demon".

The fight with the puma seemed almost like a game to him!
He easily triumphed over the beast.
Ra-ha-ha!

The sun was setting when the village of the “Two-Hills” clan appeared in the distance.
Go and rejoin yours, Onoo! Rahan is happy to have met you!
Why do you not stay with us Rahan?

We could live together, you and I, and have children.
It is impossible, Onoo.
Rahan still has too many territories to discover.
Too many things to learn.

One day, maybe, Rahan will come back one day, one day.
To hide his emotion from Onoo, The son of Crao shortened the farewell.

Page Twenty-Two:

Rahan cannot attach himself to a clan.
Not yet!
One day, no doubt, like the other hunters.
He will have a companion who will give him “Little men”.
But later! Later!

The discovery of a pheasant carcass reminded him that he had not eaten anything for a long time.
Hum. Not a strip of flesh left! More than bones and feathers!

These feathers gave him the idea of making a bow and arrows.
This work kept him busy until nightfall.

Yes, one day Rahan will take a companion.
But his life is too adventurous at the moment!

At daybreak, he set off again. He was crossing a clearing, when.
Oh, at last!

Index:
https://rumble.com/v3486cm-rahan-index-of-episodes-by-roger-lecureux..html

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