Rahan. Episode 143. By Roger Lecureux. The “Demon of the Clouds.” A Puke(TM) Comic.

Translated by the Son of the Puke Ages.
Index:
https://rumble.com/v3486cm-rahan-index-of-episodes-by-roger-lecureux..html

Source of Rahan Comics:
Philippe Ropers.
https://vk.com/topic-203785966_47424128

Rahan.

The Son of the Ferocious Ages!

Episode One Hundred and Forty-Three.

By Roger Lecureux, drawn by Romero.

The “Demon of the Clouds.”

The son of Crao was heading towards the beach where there was a cliff so high that the thinning clouds sometimes blurred its crest.
Rahan will probably find fresh water on this island! Oh!

He had glimpsed the silhouettes against the sky.
He saw in time the rocks falling straight towards him!
Hum! "Those up there" are hardly hospitable!

Crack!
He dived at the very moment his raft burst, destroyed by one of these rocks.

Page Two.

Why do "Those-Who-Walk-Upright" want to ban Rahan from their territory!?
He reached the nearby beach in a few strokes.

On the horizon other islands could be seen.
Why did the wind push Rahan towards the unwelcoming place?!
Argh! To me!

The cries of terror were uttered by a woman.
The son of Crao leapt into the undergrowth, as light as a “Two-horned."

The eel-shaped creature was going to drag a young girl under the water.
Help! Help me!
Rahan is here, sister!

Rahan had never faced such a powerful "Water Serpent" before.
His ivory knife slid over the slimy skin.

Page Three.

But the weapon finally found a vital point. The monster slowly uncoiled, freeing its prey.

You have nothing more to fear from the "Boak" of water! Oh!

Rahan does not understand!
What did you use to blacken your hair? And why?
Blackish streaks stained the grave and anxious face.

Because the "Cloud Demon", who lives up there in the sky, has sworn to exterminate all blond women and men!

Exterminate blond women and men!? Are you crazy?!
No Rahan, the one who is crazy, is the monster who reigns on this island!
He is Hornak!

The young girl whose name was Lahita-fit, a strange story.
Once upon a time there reigned over all the islands a Chief loved by all the clans of fishers.
His name was Ahounar.

Page Four.

Ahounar was as good and brave as his son Hornak was fearful and cruel!
When his father died, Hornak became the Chief of this island!

It was then that a sorcerer predicted that he would one day perish "Under the weapon of a blond man"! This prophecy haunted Harnak to such an extent that he lost his Reason!

He first had those of his own clan who had blond hair killed! But this horrible sacrifice did not appease his terror of seeing the sorcerer's prediction come true one day.

Fearing the coming of the blond man, he hid in a lair at the top of this cliff.
A lair from which he never leaves!

The clans of the other islands therefore no longer have anything to fear from this madman!
You are wrong Rahan! Hornak often sends his followers to the other islands.

And no one knows what happens to the blonde women and men they capture and bring back to their island!

Page Five.

Only one trick allows us to sometimes escape these raids.
The bark of the tree has large leaves of "Sumac" with the juice of which we dye our hair!
The bark of the oak and the leaves of this shrub allow the production of a black dye.

So why did they bring you back to this island?
It was dark when they captured me. It was confusing! I took advantage of it to escape them!

So why did you not try to escape the island?
I was going to try to do it. Swimming, when this horrible snake attacked me!

We will flee together, Lahita! Where do Hornak's warriors put their ships?
The other side of the island!

And we cannot get there because the hill is infested with these savages! Look!
Numerous warriors stood out against the sky.

Maybe they are looking for you. Do not leave this hiding place Lahita! Rahan will try to find a way to reach their boats!

Page Six.

The son of Crao flew away into the foliage.
He is as agile as a "Four-Hander." But he will not escape Hornak's hunters!

Lahita was wrong. Silent as a shadow, Rahan avoided the fearsome warriors several times.

And he finally discovered on the opposite shore, the flotilla of Hornak!
Rahan will return with Lahita!
We will win another island without having to fear the "Blueskins"!

He was returning to the shore where he had left his companion, when.
Lahita!
The young girl was struggling in the middle of the pack that was climbing the hill!

Rahan can take on two men. Three. Four.
But he cannot take on as many as twice the fingers of both hands!

Rahan will have to be cunning oh! The "Sumacs"!
Lahita's words came back to his mind. And those rustling shrubs gave him an idea.

Page Seven.

A moment later, he was crushing and grinding leaves to extract a blackish juice.
Hornak's hunters are greater in number than these leaves.

Drenched in "Sumac" juice, Rahan's hair darkened and became almost black.
They will not notice Rahan's hair!

Night had fallen when he ventured up the hill.
This was the only access to Hornak's lair. A fire burned on the rocky plateau up there.

The land of clouds.
Light clouds now stretched out, surrounding the high cliff that stood out under the moon.

Oh!
The son of Crao stifled his cry of fright.
All those whom Hornak-the-mad had sacrificed were there.

Page Eight.

Probably the lair from which Hornak never leaves! But. What What.
The fire whose glow he had glimpsed was burning in a large cavern.

Lahita!
Crucified on a flat rock, the captive recognized the silhouette of this man who was approaching.

Rahan!
Shush, Lahita. I came to deliver you.
The son of Crao had barely drawn his knife.

Kill! Kill!
A clamor arose and dozens of warriors rushed towards him, surrounding him.

Wait! Do not kill this intruder without knowing the reasons for his audacity!
The man who intervened, wearing a horned helmet, was Hornak himself!

The captive was roughly pushed into the cave.
Who are you to dare to violate the "Cloud Territory"! My territory!

Page Nine.

I am Rahan, the son of Crao.
Hum. If Rahan does not cheat, he is Lost!
All the spears remained brandished ready to give death.

It was prophesied Rahan was to be killed by a "Blonde Man"!
What do you say!? Continue!
The son of Crao had just aroused Hornak's interest! He did better.

Your reputation has spread to the farthest islands! Rahan knows that you hate the "blond Men"!
That is why the protection of the great Hornak has come!

The flattering remark delighted Hornak.
You can be one of us, Rahan. But you owe me an Offering!
Uh, Uh do you want this necklace?

No! I want that!
Hornak pointed to an ivory knife! And Rahan could not refuse without arousing his suspicion!

Hold!
Thank you! And now, tell us about the territory you come from.
Are there any "Blonde Men" there? If so, my warriors will go and exterminate them!

Page Ten.

Madness could be seen in Hornak's gaze.
We will kill all the "blond men"! As we killed the one who tried, this morning, to approach our shore!

They do not know that Rahan has escaped their rain of stones!
They do not know that Rahan is in front of them!

We have captured a "Blonde Girl." At daybreak, we will sacrifice her in your honor, Rahan!
Rahan was confused.

It was an endless night.
Over the sea spray, the son of Crao sometimes heard the captive's moans.

Rahan must free Lahita and flee this island with her! But how!? How!?
Hornak's warriors were prowling all over the hill!

They would catch up with us quickly!
Oh! The cliff. Yes, it is our only chance!
The idea he had just had was insane.
But it was the only one that could save them, Lahita and him!

Page Eleven.

The horizon was clearing.
The day is coming, Hornak. Rahan asks you a favor.
Let him slaughter the captive with blond hair!

Hornak's eyes sparkled.
I accept Rahan! This will be proof of your loyalty to our cause!
Go. Go, and kill!

The captive shivered when she saw Rahan, his knife in hand, emerge from the fog.
Do not be afraid, Lahita!
Do not be afraid, but scream! Scream to fool these savages!

We run to the edge of the cliff. This. This is our only chance!
Ha-ha-ha!
The ivory blade had cut the bonds, when.

Your Hair!
Under the effect of the sea spray, Rahan's hair regained its light color!
Hum! It does not matter anymore, Now come quickly!

Treason! That "Fire-Hair" rogue has deceived us! Kill them! Kill them!
Spears were already flying towards the fugitives.

Page Twelve.

The cliff. The "Treeless Desert." Our only chance!
Impossible! We, We.
Zlang! Zlang!

We will never be able to dive from that high!
We must, Lahita, We must!
The void opened up before them, fantastic!

No! No!
As Hornak and his warriors rushed forward,
The son of Crao embraced his companion.

And threw himself into the void! He glimpsed at the foot of the cliff, the narrow strip of the shore.
The shore where they could not crash!

Unless, unless.
He had also glimpsed the cliff edge from which they were falling.

Page thirteen.

And it was a miracle, a miracle of which only the son of Crao was capable.
With a kick against the ledge, he had thrown himself several meters from the cliff!
Ra-ha-ha!

The two bodies disappeared under the waves a few steps from the shore, where they should have disintegrated!

We are safe, Lahita!
Not yet, Rahan!
A rain of spears fell upon them.

And suddenly.
Ha! Hornak, sliding on the rock, fell into the void.

He hit the ledge, before crashing onto the shore, and.
Zlang!
His own spear had just completed his death!

Page Fourteen.

Oh, Look!
The wooden helmet of Hornak had burst, letting hair spill out, Blond!

So Hornak was blond! Like you, like Rahan, like so many others!
But his hatred of "blond men" was such that he hid his own hair!

But why so much hate, Rahan?
It was madness, Lahita!
Madness, born of the fear of being killed by a "blond man", as a sorcerer had predicted!

This prediction was not entirely wrong! Hornak, himself was killed. And he was blond!

A wave lashed the shore and ebbed away, carrying away the corpse of the one who had been the "Demon of the Clouds."
Fear will no longer reign on the islands!

Oh. If Rahan believed in "Spirits", he would say that those from the "Treeless Desert" are with us!
The wave had thrown onto the shore some of the still assembled trunks of Rahan's raft!

Page Fifteen.

The son of Crao and his companion soon after launched away from the island.
On the lost cliff, in the clouds those who had been Hornak's faithful did not even react.

The wind is fair, and Rahan could take you back to your people. But we needed a sail!
What to do!

Give this skin to Rahan, Lahita! Give!
What! What! Have you gone crazy, too?!

No, the son of Crao had not lost his mind.
And he proved once again that morning that he could make the most of anything.

You will soon be with your brothers, Lahita!
Ra-ha-ha!
The wind swelled the "Sail" and the skiff glided over the waves.
Rahan's cry of victory thundered so loudly that the seagulls escorting them, startled, scattered into the clouds.