Rahan. Episode Ninety-Seven. By Roger Lecureux. The Fantastic Trap. A Puke (TM) Comic.

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

Rahan.

Episode Ninety-Seven.

By Roger Lecureux, drawn by Andre Cheret.

The Fantastic Trap.

The son of Crao had often been stopped by ravines and precipices.
But none was as deep, as wide as this gorge he had been following since dawn.

As he took a break, he almost cried out in astonishment.
No! It is not possible! Rahan must dream!

The ledge on which he sat was in fact the edge of an animal footprint.
A giant, disproportionate footprint.

Thirty steps further, he discovered a second.
These footprints were so deep that he could have stood in them, so large that a clan of hunters could have huddled in them.

The son of Crao repressed a shiver.
Rahan does not dare imagine the monster that leaves such traces.
Page Two.

Although intrigued, he rejected the idea of following the tracks and continued his path along the impassable gorge.

Another surprise awaited him not far from there.
Who could have sacked this village like this?
A tempest? A fight between clans?

The dislocated, gutted bamboo huts formed nothing more than an inextricable tangle.
But in this rubble, Rahan saw no dead, no injured.

“Those-who-walk-upright” were therefore able to flee before their village was devastated!
But devastated by whom? By what?

The son of Crao had no time to ask himself any other questions.
A terrible noise came from the forest.
He had the impression that the earth was vibrating under his feet.

Page Three.

And the most terrible creature appeared in the distance!
As if springing from a horrible nightmare, it rose up into the eye and its hideous head dangled more than thirty meters above the ground!
Rahan has never seen a monster this big! His body must be longer than an arrow's reach!

Although the man must have seemed tiny to him, the creature saw him.
The Mountain of flesh, scales and horn shook heavily.

Ponderously?
It was relative, since each step of the monster was equivalent to ten leaps of the fleeing Rahan!

Page Four.

The son of Crao, driven to the precipice, suddenly turned, and rushed towards the rubble.
Rahan's only chance is to escape his sight!

He dove under the bamboos, slipping through the tangle.

"It” has stopped. “It” no longer sees Rahan!
Rahan held his breath avoiding any movement that would have shaken the bamboos and signaled his hiding place.

From where he could distinguish between the gaps, the gigantic silhouette of the creature on the prowl.
If “It” takes one more step Rahan is lost!

No! The day has not come for Rahan to join the territory of shadows!
The monster had turned around and was heading back towards the forest.

The son of Crao made the mistake of sneaking away early. He was running along the gorge when.
Oh! He returns to the attack!

In his flight, he had just tripped over a strong vine. A line which, tied to a stump, hung in the precipice!
Oh! What is this!?

Page Five.

Luck is on Rahan’s side!
He tested the strength of the vine and leaned down to estimate its length.

The vine led to a protrusion in the cliff on which dozens of men, women and children crowded together.

A man drew his bow.
Stay up there, outsider!
This refuge is barely enough for those of our clan!

The monster was approaching and the son of Crao no longer had a choice!
If you do not accept Rahan, he will cut this vine!

You will escape the monster but you will never be able to escape the precipice again! You will die of hunger and cold in your shelter. So?
Do you accept Rahan?

The son of Crao, of course, never carried out his threat.
But his blackmail succeeded.

It is very good! You can descend!
Page Six.

What proof do you have for Rahan that you will not push him into the void?

Taharouk can only give you his word as a hunter and leader! He has never betrayed it!

These words were uttered out of pride.
They were enough for Rahan who let himself slide with such agility that an admiring murmur arose.
Rahan thanks his brothers but he will not burden them!

Coiling the vine around his torso, he remained suspended above the rocky ledge.
Terrora is coming!

The horrible head stood out against the sky.
The short, clawed paws skimmed the void.

Terrora cannot reach us!
He will get tired as usual and will not come back until the green leaf season.

Page Seven.

Taharouk the chief attempted to be reassuring.
But the monster persisted, plowing the edge of the cliff.

Attention! The vine will give way!
Rahan had felt the fibers of the vine relax, as it was cut by the claws of "Terrora."

He suddenly fell, hitting Taharouk who lost his balance and teetered on the edge of the abyss.
Argh!

But the son of Crao’s reflexes were such that he knew how to both tackle the ledge and grab the leader's arm!

An instant later.
You are sharper than the sharpest of our hunters, “Hair of Fire”!
Alas, you are condemned to die with the clan on this rock!

Although the monster had abandoned this inaccessible prey, the clan was still in danger.
Above, the steep cliff. Below, the dizzying abyss!

Page Eight.

Usually we take refuge here as soon as "Terrora" approaches.
He destroys the village and leaves for the mountains until the next season.

And we rebuild the village. This vine has never been broken.
Because “Terrora” never got close to the abyss! It was "Fire Hair" that brought him here!

The other times, "Terrora" was afraid of the precipice.
It was “Hair of Fire” who lured him here!
Through his fault, the clan is lost!

This man was probably right. The son of Crao felt guilty.
Rahan will save the clan! Rahan will kill “Terrora.”

If "Terrora" did not bury the stump in the ground.

We will all be up there soon!
The large loop fluttered toward the edge of the cliff.

Page Nine.

And that was the miracle!
Ra-ha-ha!
The lasso, from the first throw, had gripped the stump!

Tahorouk and his people, shortly after, found their village devastated.
We will rebuild our huts until the next “Green-Leaf-Season.” And “Terrora” will return!

Why does the clan not flee this territory?
Because it is full of game and water is abundant here, “Hair of Fire”!

Without "Terrora," we will live happily!
In this case, we must destroy this monster!

Rahan does not weigh his words! Our hunters have tried everything! "Terrora" is invulnerable!
Even fire does not scare him away!
"Terrora" charges when he sees fire!

Page Ten.

We should set a trap for “Terrora”!
Taharouk is beginning to realize that Rahan has lost his mind!

What sort of trap?
What trap to dig?
It would take the clan ten times ten seasons to dig this trap!

The son of Crao could not agree that Taharouk was right.
But that night he did not sleep.
Rahan promised to kill "Terrora", Rahan will keep his promise!
A trap. A trap. A trap.

Find a trap the size of this monster! A trap from which he would never emerge! Never!

As his gaze floated over the immense gorge bathed in the light of the moon, he suddenly screamed.
Ra-ha-ha!
Rahan knows how to destroy "Terrora"!

The precipice will be our trap! It is there, all hollow, ready to devour “Terrora”!

Page Eleven.

Once again, the clan leader thought that Rahan no longer had his sanity.
The only thing Terror is afraid of is this chasm! How would you make it a trap?

"Those-who-walk-upright" Can do anything, Taharouk!
All they need is courage and self-confidence!

Tomorrow we will build a bridge over the gorge!
Rahan has already built bridges, he will show you how to do it!

At dawn, the son of Crao set to work, firmly assembling the longest bamboos he could find.

Despite their skepticism, Taharouk and his people helped him.
The hardest part will be placing the first crossing!

It was indeed a difficult task. The bamboos were heavy and it was necessary to guide their fall.
Attention! Let go of everything!

Page Twelve.

Once, twice, three times it was a failure. The bamboos, deflected by the wind, were lost in the gorge.

Or they would hit the opposite cliff and the rebound would send them back into the precipice!

But the fourth attempt was successful.
With this "crossing" in place, the construction of the bridge would accelerate.
Ra-ha-ha!

The bamboos bent as Rahan, girding long vines, crossed to the other side of the gorge.

These vines allowed him to pull the other crosspieces over, which would form the deck of the bridge.

The clan's skepticism had disappeared and everyone was active.
The bamboo grid quickly took shape above the abyss.

Page thirteen.

And now cover it with branches and grass like for a regular trap.
Rahan, he will go and get "terrora"!

Rahan will go and get "Terrora"!
The son of Crao had spoken these words calmly.
His audacity astounded the clan.

Finding and following the monster's gigantic tracks was easy.
At nightfall, he saw the terrible creature.

Fire excites you, "Terrora"! You charge the fire, "Terrora"!
That is a good thing for me.

Attack "Terrora"! Charge! Charge!
As soon as he saw the flames, “Terrora” growled and threw himself forward.

And the most hallucinatory chase began.
Waving his torches, Rahan lured "Terrora" toward the great gorge.

Page Fourteen.

As they rushed towards it, the creature froze. Fear of the abyss, no doubt.
Fear froze the men of the clan. "Hair of Fire’s" plan was going to fail.

He son of Crao was now backing up on the bridge.
Charge, “Terrora”, Charge!

The monster was watching this bridge.
He no longer saw the void. He only saw the fire of the torches.
Attack! Attack!

And Rahan only had time to leap towards the other side of the gorge.
"Terrora" was charging. "Terrora" was coming straight for the trap.

As soon as one of its paws landed on the fragile camouflage, the gigantic creature was thrown off balance.

And fell into the void! The fantastic animal fell into a trap of its own size. A fantastic trap, too.
The hideous head then the body disappeared. The tail whipped the slopes of the gorge.

Page Fifteen.

And disappeared in his turn. Only then did the cry of victory of the son of Crao thunder!
Ra-ha-ha!

Which was covered in part by the explosion of joy from the Clan.
“Terrora” is no more!
You were right "Fire-Hair"!
"Those-who-walk-upright" can do anything!

The abyss is so deep that one cannot even hear the last gasps of the nightmare creature.
Rahan threw his torches into it.

Then he lay down on the cliff. He felt tired.
But he was happy to hear the songs of those he had delivered from anguish.

Tomorrow, they would build a bridge that would no longer be a trap.
Rahan would go and join his brothers.
Yes, he must have been happy because, even asleep, he seemed to smile at the stars.

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