Rahan. Episode Forty six. The return of the "Goraks". by Roger Lecureux. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

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Episode Forty six.

The return of the "Goraks".

When he saw the squirrel on a high branch, the son of Crao congratulated himself on having made a bow the day before.
It was hard for him to kill the little red creature.
But he was so hungry!

Rahan was gifted with astonishing skill.
The thin arrow passed right through the animal.
Ra-ha-ha!

The cry of victory ended with a groan of spite.
The body of the struck squirrel was stuck high up in the branches.

Page Two.

Rahan will not abandon his game to the “hook-bills”!
An instant later, he climbed up onto the great tree.

He was about to reach the squirrel when the growl of a wild beast reached him.
That of the saber-toothed tiger.
A “Gorak”!

Rahan would not have killed the red beast if he had known that a Gorak was lurking nearby.

The son of Crao hated this beast whose ferocity he knew, this monster who killed for the pleasure of killing.
This is why he placed an arrow on his bow.

His heart beat faster when the thickets parted.
It was not a "Gorak" who was advancing into the clearing.
But three!

Page Three.

How many hunters have you slaughtered?
How many human offspring have you devoured?

Hit in the heart, one of the three beasts reared up, releasing a terrible roar.
His last roar.

The other two had suddenly collected themselves.
They scanned the woods, doubtless believing that the danger was coming there.

But Rahan knew that their scent, in a moment, would alert them to his presence in the tree.
He drew his bow once again.

Crack!
And the unexpected happened.
His foot slipped on the bark, and he lost his balance and fell into the void.
He hit a dead branch.

Page Four.

This branch perhaps saved him from a fatal fall.
But it broke, and fell with him, and fell on him!

The two beasts, surprised by this noise, had fled to the other end of the clearing.
But it was only a brief respite.

For the son of Crao, who quickly recovered his spirits.
He felt as if his legs were broken, the enormous branch weighed so heavily on his thighs.

From the depths of the clearing, one of the tigers launched himself with a great bound.
If Rahan must join the "Land of Shadows", you will accompany me, Gorak!

If Rahan no longer had time to free himself, he had time to draw his knife.
Ra-ha-ha!

Page Five.

The ivory blade plunged into the monster's chest but the shock was such that the weapon was torn from him.

As the monster collapsed a distance away from him, the last "Gorak" growled furiously.
Rahan is not lost yet. He still has his bow!

Yes, the bow was there.
But it was impossible to free it from this branch!
You are a prisoner, too! But you can still help Rahan!

As the beast approached, the son of Crao managed to place an arrow on the bow.
And to stretch it.
Approach, Gorak, Approach!

Overcoming his pain, Rahan twisted himself to adjust to the saber-toothed tiger.
He suddenly released the arrow.

Page Six.

Klong!
Which disappeared almost entirely into the beast's flank.
Rahan did not have the strength to shout his victory cry.
A fog fell between him and the falling Gorak.

And he himself fell backwards, overcome by the pain and the efforts he had just made.

In his semi-unconsciousness, and probably because of the burden weighing on him, he dreamed that goraks were devouring his legs.

Then these monsters disappeared and he felt light, light.
He opened his eyelids and saw men around him.

Carry the fire-haired hunter to the village!
No need, brothers!
Rahan believes he will be able to walk!

Page Seven.

The son of Crao was indeed able to get up.
His legs were certainly painful, but they were not broken.
When the day dawns, Rahan will leap as well as a Gorak!

Trank wishes it to you, Rahan!
All hunters will need their legs before long!
What do you mean, Trank?

These beasts that you killed are a bad omen for us!
They announce the return of the Goraks!
A long season of misfortunes will begin for our clan!

As they walked towards the village, Trank recounted how during certain seasons, this territory was invaded by a multitude of tigers.

The clan will then lead a terrible life!
“Goraks” are roaming everywhere!
Only this ravine protects us!
The village appeared, on a rocky platform that stood curiously in the middle of a deep gorge.

Page Eight.

For moons and moons the forest is forbidden to us!
We can no longer hunt or bring back water from springs.
Hunger and thirst kill the weakest among us!

So the clan cannot predict the return of the "Goraks"?
No. Several seasons can go by without them coming!

Then, one day, we see one or two.
It's the bad sign that alerts us. Because we know that others are coming from all sides.

A terrible roar suddenly interrupted Trank.
A great Gorak! At the village!
Quickly! Quickly!

Rahan believed Trank and his men to be courageous.
Why are they running away from just one Gorak?
The panicked hunters rushed towards the gorge.
Limping, the son of Crao was out-distanced and found himself alone, while other roars arose.

Page Nine.

Huddled in a thicket Rahan suddenly felt his blood run cold.
What he saw was too horrible.
A giant gorak! Rahan understands better the flight of the hunters!

He did not sense Rahan!
The monster that passed in front of him was three times bigger than any of those he had faced before.

A moment later, the giant feline growled at the edge of the gorge.
He does not dare to jump! The hunters are safe. But Rahan is not!

Page Ten.

However.
"Firehair" couldn't follow us. But perhaps he escaped the Gorak? Leave the bridges in place!

The son of Crao would have liked to join Trank, to jump towards the bridge thrown above the ravine.
But the "Sabre-toothed Tiger" came and went in front of this one.

Trank's men were ready to pull back the trunks in case the feline ran onto them.

But the beast, smelling this danger, had moved away.
If Rahan does not take advantage of this opportunity, he will remain at the mercy of the "Goraks" who will invade the forest!

Suddenly emerging from the forest, the son of Crao ran towards the gorge.
But his aching legs abandoned him a few steps from a "Bridge".

Page Eleven.

He was dragging himself towards it when the "Gorak" saw him and launched himself, growling.
Rahan will not have time!

Rah-ha-ha!
But the desire to live redoubled Rahan's strength tenfold, and he stood up and dove towards the bridge.

Gripping the trunks, he felt as if they gave way to his weight.
But they did not.
While a monstrous paw tried to grab him, he realized that the hunters were retracting the bridge back.

The beast roared more furiously as it saw his prey escape from him.
You would have thought he was going to jump, but the fear of heights stopped him.

A moment later.
Rahan will not forget that his brothers just saved his life!
You are not saved yet!

Page Twelve.

You might die of hunger and thirst like many of us!
Our fate now depends on Goraks!

For how many moons will they besiege us?
Nobody knows!
They will eventually leave this territory!

Yes, Rahan. They will disappear one day, as they came!
But when will that day arrive? When?
The sun plunged behind the mountains.

The giant tiger had disappeared into the forest from which roars arise, sometimes distant, sometimes very near.
Trank listened warily.
There are two "Great Goraks" among them as usual!

Our hunters are brave and courageous and they would not fear to face ordinary goraks.
But their bravery can do nothing against these giants.

Page thirteen.

Our arrows barely penetrate the skin of these monsters!
And even the fire of our torches does not frighten him!
They are invulnerable!

If Rahan understands correctly, it would be enough to kill this pair of large Goraks so that the clan can go hunting again!

It would still be dangerous but we would do it.
Our tribe’s life would almost return to normal!

So, Trank, we must kill these great Goraks!
A ray from the moon highlighted the resolute expression of the son of Crao.

Rahan is Crazy!
We tried everything. Fire. Arrows. Traps!
I tell you again that these monsters are invulnerable!

Page Fourteen.

No, Trank! There is always a way to defeat the enemy!
We will find it!
I would like to believe “Fire-hair”!

Although a soft litter had been prepared for him, the son of Crao did not sleep that night.
Yes, there must be a way!

The bridges had been brought back and the village of huts seemed to sail in the gorge between the hills whose echo drowned out the disturbing growls of the saber-toothed tigers.

Rahan is too presumptuous!
He thought he would find a way to kill the "Great Goraks", but he cannot!

And you are no more useful to Rahan than arrows are to hunters!
Irritated, he threw his knife towards a bamboo which supported the skin roof.

Page Fifteen.

The weapon did not stick in the too soft target which rebounded it back towards him!
Ooh!

The thing itself was banal.
But it reminded the son of Crao how he had already used the flexibility of bamboo.

Rahan has found it!
To kill giant goraks, you need a giant bow!
Giant arrows!

Rahan had exclaimed so loudly that Trank came running.
Has “Fire Hair” had a bad dream?
No, Trank! On the contrary!

A little later.
This bamboo will be the wood of the largest bow that "Those-who-walk-upright" have ever seen!
The most powerful too!
But no hunter will be able to draw this bow!

Page Sixteen.

The son of Crao smiled.
He remembered himself stuck under the branch the day before.
He relived the curious way in which he had shot his arrow.

Let Trank ask his men to help Rahan, and Trank will understand!
There was no point in calling the hunters.
They were already coming out of the huts.

Rahan demonstrated, at the end of the night, an extraordinary imagination.
Here is the “Hand” that will hold our bow!

The large bamboo was firmly fixed between the wooden “fingers” plugged into the bridge.

At daybreak, the giant bow was in place and the son of Crao was making arrows to his size.
Your idea is wonderful “Fire Hair”! But how can we target the "Goraks"?

Page Seventeen.

We won't have to aim!
Rahan will lure them in front of the arrow!
Rahan will serve as bait!
Terrifying roars greeted the rising sun.

Felines appeared on the other side of the chasm, who seemed to be escorting a large gorak.
The time has come, brothers!
Stretch the bow, push the bridge!

Ra-ha-ha!
Trank and his men faithfully carried out the orders of Rahan who, standing at the edge of the trunks, above the void, challenged the wild animals.

The giant Gorak which was extending its clawed paw suddenly found itself in front of the bridge.
Push a little more, brothers!
A little more!
Pull!!

Page Eighteen.

Ten hands free the vine at the same time.
The strength of the arc was such.
That Rahan barely saw the enormous arrow slip between his legs.

When he looked up, it had gone right through the monster's neck.

The saber-toothed tiger rolled onto its side, stood up with a terrible start, and fell into the abyss.
Ra-ha-ha!
The cry of victory of the son of Crao rose to the crests of the hills.

And was taken back by the hunters who brought back the crossbow bridge.
“Firehair” delivered us from the nightmare!
The clan will no longer fear the return of Goraks!

You are the most cunning, the most intelligent of the hunters, “Fire Hair”!
Rahan only has the merit of observing and reflecting!

Page Nineteen.

If his bow had not gotten tangled in that branch yesterday, he probably would never have had the idea of the giant bow!

But enough about Rahan!
Now we must kill the other big Gorak!

The second monster did not venture near the gorge until three days later.
It was killed in the same conditions as the first.

Except for one detail.
Trank this time had claimed the honor of serving as "Bait"!
The forest is open to us, brothers! We don't fear the little Goraks!

But the clan did not have to face other felines.
The death of the "Giants", curiously, had caused the multitude of “Little” ones to flee.

Page Twenty.

Do the "Goraks" have "Leaders"?
Rahan is ignorant of that. Rahan is ignorant of a great many things.

But Rahan knows that the "Goraks" are the enemies of these who-walk-upright.
And it is fortunate that Trank now knows how to protect his own.

The son of Crao could, certainly, have lived among these loyal and brave hunters.
But his adventurous destiny could not stop there.

That is why one morning.
Goodbye “Fire-Hair”!
We will never forget you.
Goodbye Brothers!

Delighted that his knife had pointed out the rising sun, Rahan set off towards this new horizon.
He too would not forget this clan where he had met neither mischievous hunters, nor proud chiefs, nor stupid sorcerers.
Which, in those fierce times, was very rare among “Those-who-walk-upright”!

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

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