Rahan. Episode Fifty Eight. The God of happiness. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

Episode Fifty Eight.

By Roger Lecureux, drawn by Andre Cheret.

The God of happiness.

While hollowing out the shell of a "wooden fruit", the son of Crao observed the meat that had been roasting on the fire.
For a while, something intrigued him.

The “Tears of Heaven” extinguish the flames.
These, on the contrary, revive them!

Each time a drop of fat fell on the flames they, in fact, became brighter!
So the “white flesh” keeps the fire going!?

Cries of fear tore him from his thoughts.
A man, desperately clinging to a strange stump, was being carried away by the river!

Page Two.

Courage Brother!
Rahan Never gives up on “Those-Who-Walk-Upright”!

You don't know "Crawling on water".
But Rahan will bring you back to the shore, you can let go!
The Son of Crao had become a wonderful swimmer, and he quickly joined the man.
No! No!

Galaw has suffered too much to find the “God-of-Happiness”!
He will not abandon Him to the river!
The God of Happiness?

The man's hands clenched on the curious stump as Rahan pulled him toward shore.
A moment later he was saved, but, at last, he lost consciousness.

Stupor froze the son of Crao, who had just turned over the stump.
Oh!

Page Three.

If one side was perfectly flat, the other side represented a face.
In the middle of the front, an arrow was stuck.
A Shield?

Rahan rejected the idea.
The Half-Head was far too heavy to be a "Shield"
Galaw spoke of the “God-of-happiness.”

When Rahan had pulled out the arrow, the sculpted face even better expressed serenity and happiness.

The fire was going out but the fat was still dripping into the hull of the “Fruit-of-wood.”
Rahan will know if the juice from the "White Flesh" Burns as well as the herbs!

Galaw had recovered his spirits.
You risked your life to save Galaw! Who are you then?
I am Rahan, son of Crao!
Rahan will share his meat with Galaw!

Page Four.

With caution, he removed the burning shell from the embers.
Galaw says he suffered to find the “God-of-Happiness.”
Does Rahan have the right to expand his story?

Rahan is from now on Galaw's brother!
He will know!
Oh, what? What?
The son of Crao had just plunged a piece of lighted vine into the melted fat.

The “Juice of the white flesh” did not burn, and Galaw was disappointed, already talking about his clan.

Mine lived in peace, under the protection of the "God of happiness" but one day.
Taking advantage of the absence of hunters "Those of the Endless Cave" invaded our village.
Despite the courage of our women, they overthrew the sacred totem and seized the "Face of Happiness" that they had always coveted!

Page Five.

To take it back, Galaw and a hunter went, one night, to the “endless cave.”
Look here Galaw! Here!

Look!
In the wooden hull, the vine soaked in grease burned imperceptibly.
And the little clear flame still danced at its end!

Was this day of wild times that of the first “Oil Lamp”? Who knows?
Galaw can continue! Rahan listens to him!
Galaw and his companion were able to recapture the “God-of-Happiness”

But as they fled, "Those of the Cave" shot their arrows.
Tarik was killed!

For two days Galaw managed to escape from them.
But the god of happiness made his escape difficult, and he ended up being surrounded by the river.

Page Six.

And Galaw preferred to surrender to the river, rather than let the “God-of-happiness” fall into the hands of sacrileges!
Zlang! Chtok!

The son of Crao had listened in silence.
Eat Galaw!
When the day comes again, Rahan will accompany you to your family!

Night fell very quickly.
The little flame still danced at the end of the vine strand.
No torch could make light for that long!

With this light "Those-who-walk-upright" could chase away the darkness from their huts and their caves! They would no longer fear the spirits of the night!

Rahan observed the Great wooden face, peaceful under the moon.
After the theft of this totem, did the curse hit your clan?
Was the hunting less good?

Page Seven.

Oh no!
Rahan suspected it.
It is not a totem that ensures the happiness of a clan.
Happiness is born from the courage of hunters!

But Rahan respects the beliefs of his brothers and he understands what Galaw wanted.
To return the god of happiness!

Alas! I do not know if we can bring him back to my people! Listen!
With his ear pressed to the ground, Galaw seemed anxious.

The big “Lezarks” gather around the swamps!
If they spread into the forest we are lost!
The “Lizards”!
The son of Crao knew these hideous monsters, half lizard, half crocodile.
He imagined them, tearing themselves away from the fetid mud of the marshes.

Page Eight.

The strongest and bravest hunters can only flee from the "Lezarks"!
Galaw and Rahan will leave at daybreak!

What trap are you preparing?
It is not a trap.
The “Long-arms” will help us carry the “God-of-happiness”!

At the first light of dawn the two men plunged into the forest.
The travois, in fact, allowed them to easily drag the heavy half-head of the totem.

My brothers live in this valley. We will be with them very soon!
They will be grateful to Rahan for helping Galaw to return the “God-of-happiness”!

Branches suddenly cracked behind them.
The “Lezarks”!?
No! “Those-of-the-endless-cave”!

Page Nine.

The hunters who burst forth brandished great bows.
Run away, Galan! Save your “God-of-happiness”!

While his companion disappeared into the thickets, the son of Crao, to protect his escape, charged towards the men!
Ra-ha-ha!

A volley of arrows made him realize that this reaction was insane!
Chtok! Chtok! Chtok!
Either "Fire-hair" is stupid, or he has lost his mind!
We could have sent him to the “territory of shadows”!

These hunters obviously did not seek to kill, but to give a warning.
Rahan is not afraid of your arrows!

The men's mocking laughter rang out as "Fire-hair" darted towards a tree.
The bows rose again.
Ha-ha-ha!

Page Ten.

Chtok!
Clang!
And, a few arrows stuck into the trunk, framing the son of Crao!

Others, fired with stupefying skill, brushed against his skull, preventing him from climbing any higher!
Chtok! Stok!

Stop! Rahan surrenders!
Ha-ha-ha!
You have now become Reasonable “Hair of Fire”!
Give us your weapon! Fraham waits!

Annoyed at having been so easily captured, Rahan also wanted to prove his skill.
So. But do not move!

The ivory blade shaved the neck before burying itself in the quiver of skin.
Fraham did not flinch!
You deserve to belong to our clan, “Fire-hair”!

Page Eleven.

However, in the nearby valley, people were cheering the return of Galaw.
Galaw brought back the “God-of-happiness”!
Long life! Long live Galaw!

If Galaw lives it is thanks to a “hunter with fiery hair”!
His name is Rahan!
It was he who saved Galaw from the river, and who helped him bring back the “God of happiness”.

So! Why is this "Rahan" not with you?
By protecting Galaw's escape, he undoubtedly fell into the hands of "Those-in-the-Cave"!

The Clan's Duty is clear!
We must save the fire-haired man!
The clamor that arose greeted both these words.

They almost forgot the tense face turned towards the forest, which embodied to them, the “god of misfortune.”
And the men who readjusted the half-head of a large totem, and finally found the peaceful look of the “God-of-happiness”!

Page Twelve.

In the endless caverns the son of Crao appeared before the clan of Fraham.
Why did Rahan protect Galaw?
Because you stole the “God of Happiness” from his clan!

Galaw lied! We took back the “God-of-happiness” because it belongs to us!
It was our fathers' fathers who erected the great totem pole!

Because we used to live in the valley.
But Galaw and his people chased us away!
And, yet we would have agreed to share with them the protection of “God-of-happiness”!

The son of Crao smiled bitterly.
He had then been deceived!
Rahan will never again take sides without thinking!

He was about to express his regrets when a man rushed into the cave.
Those-from-the-valley are here! They are attacking!

Page thirteen.

They did not have time to bring down the huge gate.
Galaw and his hunters were bursting in!
We have just delivered “Hair of Fire”!
And we're going to finish with yours, Fraham!

It was tumult.
Stop! “Those-who-walk-upright” must not fight each other like wild animals!

But the screams drowned out Rahan's voice.
On all sides, terrible hand-to-hand combat matched the men of Galaw to those of Fraham.

And then, the furious clamors were, in turn, smothered by a crash of broken branches.
The “Lezarks”! The “Lezarks” have come!

Boom!
And the “Lezarks” appeared!

Page Fourteen.

The vision of these monsters scared the most daring hunters.
The hideous bodies rolled over each other, tangled together in a teeming mass which, eventually, spread out in front of the cavern.

The “lezarks” can stay like this for moons and moons before returning to the swamps!
And we will die of thirst and hunger!
Faced with danger, the two clans forgot their quarrel.

Why Die? This cave probably has other exits!

Page Fifteen.

Probably yes.
But all those who have ventured into the belly of the earth have had to retreat before the darkness!

The darkness?
Rahan knows how to fight that!
Rahan thought back to the “Fruit-of-wood” with the juice of the white flesh.
The little flame danced at the end of the vine.

And while he explained his project, the terrifying besiegers swarmed in front of the cavern.
Only one "Lezark" must pass! Just one!

The nearest monster rushed forward, forcing its way under the slowly rising grate.

At the same time as the gate fell behind him, ten arrows pierced his scaly sides!
Ra-ha-ha!
We will have more white flesh than Rahan wanted!

Page Sixteen.

The son of Crao, shortly after, lit a fire on which he placed a large slab of slate.
Skeptical, but intrigued, everyone obeyed his instructions.

Let “Those-from-the-Cave” fuel the fire!
Let “Those-of-the-Valley” prune the bamboos and cut the vine pieces!

From the flesh of the butchered "Lezark", Rahan cut the fat which, thrown onto the hot slate, melted into a sickening odor.

And this oily juice was collected in bamboo tubes, in which a wick-vine was immersed.

And those of Fraham, like those of Galaw, were very soon masters of these lights which marvelously illuminated the roof of the cave.
Forward, brothers! Let us attack the darkness!

Page Seventeen.

The “Endless Cave” deserved its name.
The hunters of Galaw, and the Fraham clan had the impression of sinking into the bowels of the mountain.

In this labyrinth with oozing walls they sometimes discover the remains of a daring person who, overcome by darkness, could not go any further!

How long did they walk like this?
No one would have been able to say it.
But their anguish suddenly dissipated.
Look! The sun awaits us!

A moment later they overlooked a valley.
Galaw and his people screamed.
The devastated village that they saw was theirs!

Women and children wandered between the destroyed huts and around the large toppled totem pole.

Page Eighteen.

A little after.
When the “leazarks” appeared we were able to take refuge on the hill.
But these monsters destroyed everything!

Gravely, the two leaders observed the totem.
Why do the clans constantly fight over the “God of Happiness”?
Why not stay united as you were in the cave and under the mountain!?

“Fire-Hair” is right!
If Galaw admits that the "God-of-Happiness" belongs to everyone, we will bring ours to the valley!
Galaw accepts! We will rebuild the village together!
And we rebuild it on the hill, where the "Lezarks" never come!

The first concern of the reconciled clans was to hoist the great totem to the height.
Very soon, solid huts would rise around it.
The son of Crao was certain that he knew what prodigious feats "Those-who-walk-upright" were capable of, when they were united in their efforts!

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