Rahan. Episode Forty Four. The Miracle Herb. by Roger Lecureux. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

Episode Forty Four.

The Miracle Herb.

Rahan does not want to die!
He does not want to join the territory of shadows!

The son of Crao reproached himself once again for having ventured into this desert without end.

He had not eaten anything in days and he was exhausted.

Text by Roger Lecureux.
Drawing by Andre Cheret.

He crawled, rather found himself, on the burning sand towards the Oasis which trembled behind the heat mist.

Crao the wise often said.
There is water where trees and grass grow!
And certain herbs can calm the hunter's hunger!

Page Two.

Great vultures circled in the sky as if to watch for the end of the man.
You are hungry too “Crooked Beak”!

But you will not fight over Rahan's flesh!
He was getting closer to the oasis, whose patch of greenery was becoming more precise.

Exhausted, he stopped for a moment.
It was then that a vulture, believing him to be dead, swooped down on him.

No Crooked Beak!
Rahan is not yet prey for you!

The son of Crao only had time to draw his knife.

The ivory blade struck the great raptor, and.
Ouch!
His weapon slipped from his fingers!

Page Three.

Mortally wounded, the vulture flew away with the cutlass.
He fluttered for a moment before falling like a stone on the oasis.

Satisfy your hunger.
Quench your thirst.
Finally find refreshment.
Recovering his knife.
These thoughts gave energy back to Rahan.

He finally reached the shade of the tall palm trees and saw the huts around the watering hole.
Rahan hopes that “Those Who Walk Upright” will not be hostile to him!

He also saw strange beasts, beasts like he had never seen before.
If these "hollow backs" are fierce Rahan is lost!

But although the camels remained peacefully grouped together, men rushed towards him.
Who are you "Fire-hair"?
Where do you come from?

Page Four.

I am Rahan, the son of Crao. Rahan has strayed into your territory.
He is hungry and he is thirsty.

Cries of joy suddenly arose from a man who was dragging the vulture.
Look Traor!
Look at what the good spirit sends us!

The bird of prey was respectfully placed at the feet of Traor.
Who appeared to be the leader of this clan.
Traor will divide it between his brothers!

The son of Crao tore his knife from the body of the bird.
It was Rahan who killed “Crooked Beak”!
He is entitled to his share!

Rahan noticed that these men were not carrying any weapons.
What is this magic item? If it kills the “Hooked Beaks”, Traor wants it!

Page Five.

The sun dipped behind the horizon.
Rahan cannot give his cutlass to Traor.
But he will teach the clan to make weapons for hunting.

And suddenly the men, worried, rushed towards the palm trees which they climbed with agility.
They fear the wild animals who will come to drink thought Rahan to himself.

Shortly after, in fact, a few cheetahs appeared, heading towards the watering hole.
One of them leapt at the throat of a camel.

From their refuges the men witnessed what was for them a miracle.
Rahan won't let you slit the throat of this harmless "Hollow-back"!

Ra-ha-ha!
The formidable ivory blade, with a single blow, had just opened the cheetah's flank!

Page Six.

Another feline was already rushing towards Crao's son.
A vulgar "Spotted Skin" will not scare away Rahan.

The man and the beast rolled to the ground, one striking with his cutlass, the other clawing.

Ra-ha-ha!
Rahan stood up once again victorious!
But the arm with which he had protected his face was streaked with deep gashes.

If “Fire-hair” does not die, the men of the clan will want him as leader!
But.
What?
What is he doing?

Avoiding the attack of another feline, the son of Crao dove into the waterhole.

Page Seven.

It was shallow but he knew that the wild animals, hating water, would not risk it!

He remained there until the beasts had watered and abandoned the oasis to disperse in the desert.

The amazed men descended from the palm trees.
Rahan killed two monsters! Rahan is a god!

No, brothers. Rahan is just a simple hunter!
The proof: A god would not have been hurt like Rahan was!

Gaano-the-Sorcerer knows the “Eat-and-heal” herbs.
Follow me “Fire Hair”!

Page Eight.

Gaano led Rahan into a clearing lined with damp moss.
Here and there grew tall tufts of grass.
This herb is miraculous.
It is not only the main food of our clan, but.

It heals almost everyone's skin.
I collected many seeds which I sowed in this humid clearing.

After applying herbs to Rahan's wounds, Gaano made a bandage from a palm leaf.
But these precious herbs will end up missing from the clan!

Think again!
The ones I just cut will have grown back in a few days.
Thanks to these herbs, mine do not know hunger.

The courage of the son of Crao had earned him the respect of the clan.
Every evening when the monsters come prowling we take refuge in the trees.

But you proved to us that we could fight them.
Alas, we don't have what you call a knife.
Rahan will teach you how to make weapons.

Page Nine.

Until daybreak, Rahan recounted his adventures.
Traor alone showed bitterness.
He feared that his authority would be called into question.
"Firehair" cannot remain among us if he has not undergone the "Great Ordeal"!
Custom demands it!

The big Test? What is this custom? You will know immediately!
Traor gave a little smirk.

You will have to throw yourself from the top of this branch with a vine tied to your ankles.
If the vine breaks, you plunge straight into the “Territory of Shadows”!

If the vine resists and if your knees or your hips are dislocated, you will be unworthy to live among us! But you can refuse the test!

Crao's son could have refused this terrible ordeal and left the oasis.
But he had so much to teach this clan!
Rahan accepts!

Page Ten.

A moment later, he climbed towards the high branch.

Long vines hung from the branch, almost to the ground.
Rahan gathered back to him the strongest of these.

And tied it tightly around his ankles.
His life depended in part on the strength of this knot.

The silence became even heavier when he stood on the branch ready to dive into the void.
Maybe Rahan will join you, Crao!!

Traor was serious. Perhaps he regreted having imposed this formidable ordeal.
But it was too late. Rahan had just let himself fall.

Page Eleven.

If the vine gave way, its skull would break open on the ground, which was approaching at breakneck speed.

The vine resisted!
But although he had flexed all his muscles, he had the sensation that they were tearing, that his legs were being torn off.
But it was just a sensation.
Kloch!

He hovered above the ground for a moment.
Ten fingers from the ground!
The members of the clan rushed forward cheering this novel exploit.

Page Twelve.

Stunned by the terrible shock, Rahan saw a world turned upside down.
The trees, the men.
Traor-the leader.

He still had the strength to recover and to cut the vine and free his ankles.

The cries that rose up proved to him that he had definitely won the trust of the desert clan.

A little later.
“Fire-hair” can stay with us.
He can replace Traor and command the clan!
What are you doing?

The son of Crao brandished his ivory knife.
Do not move, Traor! Do not move!

Page Thirteen.

The knife whistled in the chief's ears, went to rest, a step behind him.
Argh! Blok!
Why did you want to kill Traor?

Rahan did not want to kill Traor!
But he killed the beast that would have sent him to the kingdom of shadows!
Look there!

The knife, aimed with remarkable skill, had cut the great black scorpion in two.

“Fire-hair” saved Traor!
Why did he do that?
He could have become the leader of the clan!

Rahan never thought of replacing Traor!
He will leave as soon as he is healed.
You are already healed, brother.
The magic herb has triumphed over the malady!

Page Fourteen.

Gaano-the-sorcerer untied the bandage.
Rahan's wounds were nothing more than fine cuts, already healed.

The son of Crao had made a promise to the men of the clan.
He held it in the days that followed.

He taught them to make powerful bows.
With these arrows your people will no longer have to fear the wild beasts, Traor.

He also taught them how to cut flint to make strong spears.
And he initiated them into the handling of these weapons.

When wild animals threaten you, you will no longer have to take refuge in the trees.
But never use these spears and arrows against "Those-who-walk-upright."

Page Fifteen.

A few days later, the sorcerer brought Rahan back to the clearing.
The tufts of grass had already grown back.

You have taught our clan a lot of things.
How can we thank you?

Rahan would be happy to introduce the miracle herb to other clans!
Gaano will give you seeds! Lots of Seeds!

Traor also wanted to make a present to the one he had been so suspicious of.
He offered him his own camel.
Goodbye brother! Our clan will not forget you!

This time, the son of Crao did not have to turn his knife to know which horizon to head towards.
He confided his destiny to the "Hollow-back" who trotted towards the rising sun.

With each stride, the necklace of claws jumped on his neck.
And the bag swollen with seeds bounced.
These seeds from which the miracle herb was born.
These seeds he would make known to “those who walk upright”, his brothers.

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