Rahan. Episode 165 By Roger Lecureux. The Valley of Phantom Monsters. 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

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

Rahan.

The Son of the Ferocious Ages!

Episode One Hundred and Sixty-Five.

By Roger Lecureux, drawn by Andre Cheret.

The Valley of Phantom Monsters.

Deep in the mists of time, millions of centuries before the fierce ages, the earth was populated by monstrous creatures.

Then, gigantic cataclysms lifted the mountains, ripped open the land, dug seas and moved the rivers.

The sun, for millennia, was hidden by clouds of ash.
Vegetation perished.
This, some say, was the cause of the disappearance of the dinosaurs.

Page Two.

The end of the great monsters? Not quite. Some species, it is believed, took refuge deep in mysterious valleys and survived there for a few more millions of years.

And when the time of "Those Who Walk Upright" came, some of these valleys still existed.
The one they nicknamed the "Valley of the Ghostly Monsters" was one of them.

Finally!
Rahan has arrived!
But.
What. What!?

Not another step, "Fire-Hair"!
The spirits of times past have entrusted me with the protection of the ghost-monsters!
No one has the right to violate their territory!

Page Three.

For many moons, Rahan has wanted to enter the Valley of Phantom-Monsters!
He wants to find someone dear to him there.
Very dear.

And Rahan makes fun of the so-called spirits of the past!

You will pay for this blasphemy, "Hair-of-Fire"!

The son of Crao dodged the arrow with his usual agility.
But.

The second, fired with lightning speed, grazed him.
Zip!

It was a minor scratch, yet Rahan believed his legs were cut off.
Argh!
What, what. Argh.

He saw the landscape change.

Page Four.

As if in a fog, he saw the "Guardian of Time Past" approaching, determined to finish him off.
You should not have challenged the spirits, "Fire-Hair"!

He glimpsed again, emerging from the brush, a young hunter brandishing a javelin.
And he lost consciousness.

When he came to, the "Guardian of the Past" had vanished.
The gigantic rift that led to the valley of the "Phantom Monsters" rose into the night, reaching up to the round moon.

It took you a long time to recover!
Either the poison in those arrows is too strong, or you are less resilient than I thought, Rahan!

The voice was juvenile and mocking.
How that madman ran away with my javelin stuck in his back.
I recovered his bow!
But. But who are you then!?

Page Five.

My name is Oukaou. I have decided to protect you, Rahan.
Protect Rahan!? But why?

Because I am in love with you, Rahan!
Oh!
The long hair had just caught a shard of moonlight.

Rahan thanks you for saving him, Oukaou.
But Rahan does not want to love you. First, because you're still just a little girl.
In fact, Oukaou did not seem to be more than twelve years old.

And then, because Rahan loves another woman!
A woman he hopes to find again in the Valley of the "Phantom-Monsters."

A woman named Naouna!?
What?! But. How.
How do you know that!?

Oukaou may be young, but she knows a lot about you, Rahan! So!?
Shall we get going!?

Page Six.

Rahan cannot obey this child's whims!
Uh.
Rahan ran a very long race, he is tired.
We will talk about all this again tomorrow, Oukaou!

Understood. But know that.
I will not leave you again!
I will always be there when you need me!
Thankyou Oukaou, thank you.
We need to sleep now!
Oukaou fell asleep quickly.

When she wakes up, Rahan will be far away.
The son of Crao knew how to be as silent as his shadow.

He soon found himself in front of the narrow and deep crevasse.

If the "Clan of the Split Mountain" did not lie, Rahan might soon find Naouna again!

He remembered what had brought him there.

Page Seven.

His return to the split mountain. The strange silence revealed the abduction of Naouna.

By those of the Valley of Phantom Monsters, also called the "Valley of Nightmares."
Why Naouna.

And she alone, had she been kidnapped!?
The son of Crao had not been able to solve this mystery.
And.
That was why, after such a long race, he finally arrived at this crevasse, the only access to the "Valley of Nightmares."

This crevasse was so narrow, so deep, that he barely noticed the dawn.
It is said that the "Valley of Nightmares" begins at a day of journey.

Oh!
Ah!-Ha-ha-ha!

Page Eight.

Mocking, irritating, the young Oukaou stood there. Fifty steps in front of him!
Ha! Ha-ha-ha!

How.
How did you catch up without him seeing you?
I have not caught up with you, Rahan.
I am ahead of you!

I did not sleep because I knew you would try to leave me. As soon as you slipped away, I ran to that crack.
And I got there before you!

You see, I told you I would always be by your side, whether you wanted it or not!

Rahan does not want to drag you into the "Valley of Monsters," Oukaou!
Go away! Go back to your people!
Go away! Go away! Go Away!

Rahan had screamed so loudly that all the echoes amplified the screams.
Go away! Go away! Go Away!

Page Nine.

Go away!
And, as sometimes happens, the echoes caused an avalanche to begin.

First there were a few stones, which then brought down other, even larger ones.

Rahan knew this risk. He was stupid!

There was no time for regrets.
Sheaves of rock were now crashing into the crevasse.
Watch out for yourself, Rahan!

The avalanche caused others, and soon a wall of rock blocked the fault.

Well, that settles it, Rahan!
It is impossible to return!
You will have to put up with Oukaou, My "Sun-Haired Hunter"!

Page Ten.

You will see, Rahan.
You will have the best archer in the game right next to you!
Joy illuminated Oukaou’s face.

Hum.
Rahan is afraid you'll have to prove it right away!

Perhaps intrigued by the thunder of the avalanche, a pteranodon plunged from the clouds.

The shadow of the immense wings enveloped Rahan and his young companion.
The terrible beast sought to catch prey.

And encountered only the ivory knife that the son of Crao was brandishing!
This is horrible, Rahan!
And that is just the beginning, Oukaou!

Faced with this resistance, which he did not expect, the winged reptile.
Oh! The Knife of Rahan!
Rose with a beat of wings.

Page Eleven.

Carrying away the ivory weapon that remained stuck in the horn of the beak.
Without his cutlass, Rahan would no longer be Rahan!
Give up your bow, Oukaou!

No need, Rahan!
The arrow meowed as it flew away.

The head was pierced through and through.
The monster beat the air with its heavy wings for a short moment.

Before returning to crash to the ground, a hideous mass of skin and horn.
The head was probably the only vulnerable spot, Oukaou!
And you succeeded!

I told you that you would need me!
Overcoming his disgust, the son of the fierce ages recovered his precious knife.

Page Twelve.

Rahan offers you a deal, Oukaou.
If you are a better archer than him, you can stay!
But if you are a worse shot than him.

You climb over these scree, you go back to your people.
And Rahan will never hear from you again!
Do you agree?
Oukaou agrees!

The knife will be the target!
Ready Oukaou!?
What followed was simply astonishing.

Hardly had the knife been struck, when Oukaou's arrow came and prodded it!

It could not have been better!
And the son of Crao.

Indeed, it was much worse.
Or rather, less good.
My "Sun-haired" hunter will have to put up with me!
Er, hum.
Page thirteen.

That is good!
But Rahan does not want you by his side!
You'll stay just an arrow's throw behind him!

What does it matter! As long as the one I love remains in sight!
Hum! Rahan cannot break his promise!

In this defile where the north wind sometimes whistled, they will walk until nightfall.
Oukaou, as agreed, remained far behind.
What does she know about Naouna that she does not want to reveal!?

The night was going to be cold, and the son of Crao made a fire.
Hum.
Over there, Oukaou withdrew into herself fearfully.
And he felt remorse.

Come closer to that fire, Oukaou!
You need warmth as much as Rahan!
Oh! Thankyou Rahan, Thank you.

Rahan wants to tell you again that Naouna was his one and only true love!
He will remain faithful to her!
What if you never find Naouna again!
Page Fourteen.

The glint in Oukaou's eyes worried Rahan.
Never again!? What do you mean, Oukaou?
Speak! Speak! Speak!

So much is said about the clan of the "Valley of Nightmares”.

They are said to kill and mummify the women they abduct.
And they turn these mummies into goddesses they worship!

Why would Naouna not have suffered this fate? Why would she not have become.
The mummy-goddess of the Valley of Nightmares!
Shut up Oukaou! Shut up!

The idea that the one he loved could be sacrificed to such a cruel cult was unbearable to Rahan!

Page Fifteen.

Oukaou finally dozed off, but the son of Crao was haunted by too many dark thoughts to find sleep.
Abandoning Oukaou Now Would Be Disloyal!

But does Rahan have the right to drag her to this cursed valley!?
He remembered the little he had been taught about this valley.

Its forests.
Its mists.
Its mountains.
Its monsters too gigantic to enter this narrow defile from which Oukaou and he himself would emerge at dawn.

If he had believed in demons, he would have thought that vampires howling in the moon was a bad omen.
But Rahan did not believe in demons!

Dawn found them at the exit of the pass. And immediately, horror struck.
Tell me we are dreaming, Rahan!?
Alas no, Oukaou!

Page Sixteen.

The Valley of Nightmares was well-named. The monsters that lurked in the mist could spot them at any moment.
There is still time to turn back, Oukaou!

You will climb the avalanche scree. You will return to your people!
Never! I will stay by your side. Even until death!
Rahan has only one way to save this stubborn girl.

Escape her by a "Track" where she will not be able to.
Follow him.
What. What are you doing?

The son of Crao rushed towards the forest, towards this "Path of Vines" where he showed himself to be so agile.
Come back, Rahan! Come back!

His clamor dispersed a clan of chattering "Four-Hands."
Ra-ha-ha!

Stay with me, Rahan!
Come back, come back or else.
If Oukaou was raging, her hands were not shaking.

Page Seventeen.

He was in full flight when the arrow grazed him, barely touching him.
His vision suddenly blurred and.
He fell into the tangle of foliage and vines.

Anxious, Oukaou rushed towards the thickets, into which the son of the fierce ages had fallen.
The dart should have only grazed his skin!
I hope you were not clumsy!

Oh!
Where did he go?
A few twigs clearly showed that the son of Crao had fallen there.
But he had disappeared!

Either Oukaou missed him. Or the venom in those arrows no longer has any effect!
These marks prove he slipped away that way.

How could she have guessed that Rahan, under the influence of drugs, had not even resisted the hunters who had surprised him?
What?
What?

Page Eighteen.

He had, without reacting, allowed himself to be carried away by wild men.
No doubt. The valley clan.
Nightmares, where are they taking them? Rahan?

Oukaou, however, followed this trail.
Those who took him away were.
Fewer than the fingers on a hand.
Oukaou will never find Rahan again!

Unless, unless.
The famous ivory knife of the son of Crao lay on the ground, curiously placed on a small branch.

This knife was not thrown away! It was gently placed there.
As if to indicate a direction!
Emotion tightened Oukaou’s throat.

Is it possible that Rahan needs Oukaou's help?
That would be wonderful!

She had slipped the weapon into her waistband when.
Argh!
The head that swung above her, in the mist, was as small as it was horrible!

Page Nineteen.

This head belonged to a body that seemed to have no end.
A body whose tail, in the distance.
Whipped the mud of the marshes.
Phew! This one looks pretty harmless!

But Oukaou had lost track of him.
A strange idea came to her.
Legend has it that Rahan used to consult his knife!

Perhaps you know in which direction Oukaou should direct her steps?
How did she know about Rahan's habit?
It was still a mystery!

At the same time.
This. It is now that Rahan. Would need. Oukaou.
But did she even find. The Knife.
Without any strength, the son of Crao retained his lucidity.

Our people appreciated your courage when you faced the "Wampa-Lizard." But.
This courage will not spare you the fate reserved for.
All those who violate our territory!
He was being dragged towards a cave.

Page Twenty.

This is where the "Queen of the shadows" will come looking for you. Farewell, "Fire-Hair."
They were bold too!
See what the "Wampas" did to them!

Oh!
Skeletons, in dozens, hung from the lower vault.

Tied to the vault of this cavern of torture, Rahan had the agonizing sensation of walking at the head of a horde of the dead.

No!
Rahan will not join the Shadows! Rahan wants to live!
I will live.

Rahan is alive!
As his strength returned, he made a recovery to brace himself against the vault.
Then a cry of fear arose outside.

Page Twenty-One.

The son of Crao was very surprised to see the clan bow down before the one who was approaching.
It is Naouna-the goddess who sent me!

But he had heard.
Oukaou!
What story has this stubborn woman come up with now!

"Fire-Hair" is the protege of Naouna the goddess!
Here.
She offers you this hunter's knife in exchange for his freedom.

At the same time.
Ra-ha-ha!
In a final effort, Rahan had just broken his bonds.

The skeleton he had struck jostled another.
Losing a skull here, a limb there, the macabre horde seemed to stir!

Page Twenty-Two.

However.
Why are you lying!?
If you knew Naouna-the-goddess, you would know that she.
Has disappeared since the beginning of the green leaf season!

Emerging from the cave of shadows, Rahan immediately found himself surrounded!
Oh. Rahan!

We are going to give you a chance, "Fire-Hair"!
If you defeat the "Gorak" waiting for you there without your weapon, you and your young companion will be free! Otherwise.
Oh! No!

No!
Do not force Rahan to face a "Gorak" without his knife! This is too cruel!

The Tiger growled in his cave, behind the bamboos.
Custom dictates that Rahan fights however he wants!
With stones. With his hands.
With his teeth!
Ha-ha-ha-ha!

Page Twenty-Three.

The captive was thrown into the beast's den.
Rahan does not even have a stick! You do not have much to fear from him, "Gorak"!

The beast remained lurking in the shadows, as if taking pleasure in the man's anguish.
You are taking your time, eh!
You know Rahan is at your mercy!

The son of the fierce ages hated those felines with "Saber Teeth" who had slit the throats of his parents shortly after his birth.
Courage, Rahan.
Show this "Gorak" that you are the worthy son of the "Hans"!

If you are as stupid as you seem cruel, maybe you will leave Rahan.
The time he needs!
A crazy idea came to him.

Make a flint knife before the beast attacked!

He had known hunters skilled enough to carve a spear point in a few moments.
Why would Rahan not be so skillful, so fast?
As he hammered the flint pebble, the "Gorak" growled in the shadows.
Page Twenty-Four.

Faster, Rahan. Faster!
Under his sharp and precise blows, the flint shards jumped. The weapon took shape.

Just a moment longer, Gorak!
Just a moment longer!

Rahan knew the "Saber-Tooth" tiger was about to attack.
He felt it.

And the son of Crao achieved the impossible, just before the big cat's attack.
Rahan is ready, "Gorak"! Or almost ready!
One saber against two, the fight is almost equal!

He had grabbed one of the monstrous canines and was striking with his improvised, crudely made weapon.
Ra-ha-ha!
His clamor burst forth, as wild as the roar of the monster suddenly struck dead!

Page Twenty-Five.

An ominous silence followed the exploit of the son of Crao.
Oukaou broke it.
Rahan has won!
You must return his knife to him and set him free!
Hum.

The chief complied reluctantly.
Here is your weapon, "Fire-Hair."
Leave this valley where you should never have ventured!

But you alone are free!
This one will replace Naouna the goddess!
Naouna!
Why did your clan kidnap her?
What happened to her?

Throughout history, our clan has chosen a woman from elsewhere as its goddess.
That was why we had kidnapped Naouna, the daughter of the Split Mountain clan!
She was for us.

A perfect goddess.
Since she was carrying a little man inside her who was to be born in the season of yellow leaves!

Page Twenty-Six.

Yes. Naouna was going to have a baby, and our clan was awaiting her birth with great impatience.
Naouna lived on this islet.

And nothing was too good for her.
Every morning, we brought her gifts, offerings.

But one morning, she disappeared.
We never saw her again!

Naouna.
A baby. A baby!

Yes, Rahan. Naouna was expecting a child from you!
An infant.
The emotion petrified the son of Crao.

Visions came back to him from his stay in the steep mountains, near the beautiful Naouna.
Thus, a child would have been the fruit of this brief and tender love.

He thought back to the day Naouna slipped away, so as not to hinder his adventurous destiny.
Good bye Rahan, goodbye.
Page Twenty-Seven.

As is our custom, we would have made Naouna's child the chief of this valley!
What has become of her?

No one ever knew!
The lake is populated by monsters.
She must have paid with her life for wanting to abandon our clan!

But Naouna does not matter, since here we are.
A new goddess!

You have lost your mind!
Oukaou will never be your goddess!
Never!
But yes, you will be!
Willingly or by force!

And I am sure that one night spent with the "Shadows" will change your mind!
To me, Rahan! To me!

Rahan is so happy to finally be rid of you, Oukaou!
Sometimes the son of Crao used deceitful lies. This was the case.

Page Twenty-Eight.

At night he was found lying in wait near the lake.
If Rahan wants to free Oukaou, he must be careful.
Poor Oukaou.
She must be scared to death!

In the cave of torture, in fact, Oukaou overcame her fear.
Rahan could not abandon Oukaou.
That is impossible!

Even if he had not dozed, the colossus on guard.
May Oukaou not cry out. Nor.

In front of the cave would not have heard Rahan sneaking.
Neither show surprise nor joy!

Rahan! Oukaou knew you would not abandon her!
The captive had cried out, as the son of Crao had feared.

Who only had time to cut the lines!
What? What?
You will join these "Shadows" whose sleep you came to disturb "Fire-Hair"!

Page Twenty-Nine.

Rahan had never stolen a man's life before. But.
He knew how to protect his own!

The skull shattered on the colossus!
Vrang!

An instant later, the son of the ferocious ages and his young companion had disappeared into the darkness.

You came back for me!
You risked your life for me!
Do you love me without wanting to admit it?

Enough nonsense, Oukaou!
You know perfectly well that it is Naouna that Rahan loves and wants to find!
Especially since she is expecting a "man boy"!
With the mist of dawn the ghost-monsters reappeared.

Crao was right to say that the monsters of old are more terrifying than dangerous!
See. Those.
They are nourished with grass and leaves!

Page Thirty.

As if to confirm Rahan's remarks a hideous muzzle suddenly burst through the mist, the foliage.
Do not move, Oukaou! Do not move anymore!

They were able to rest as stone when the nostrils the sniffed.
Rahan, tense, was ready to strike.
He did not have to do it!

Disdaining these inert prey, the monster rejoined his troop.
Phew! I have never been so afraid of my life!
A life still very short Oukaou!

They knew that the clan still hunted them.
Faster, Oukaou! Faster!
What good is it, Rahan, since.

Since we will not go further!
Hum.
The forest with dead trees ended up on a deep, absolutely impassable gorge!

Trying the jump was unthinkable!
When they take us back, they may make me a "Goddess" but you.
They will kill you!
Page Thirty-One.

We will pass to the other side of this gorge, Oukaou!
The son of Crao had often used trees to cross Precipices.

These are dead and partly uprooted! We will make them fall near the gorge!

A little later.
Despite their efforts, they did not manage to uproot the tree.
Argh!

We do not have enough strength.
It will not fall.
So, we will fall back into the hands of these savages! Hear them approach!

Rahan knows how to drop this tree!
Quickly, quickly!
He goes crazy!

Page Thirty-Two.

Rahan had just rethought a macabre moment, in the cave of tortures, where a single skeleton struck.
Had shaken all the others!
As always, he was going to take advantage of his observation.

The tree chosen by Rahan, was distant from the gorge.
But it is too far from the Gorge!
Yes, but this one only asks to fall! And.

By falling, he will cause the others, who will uproot the one we want to make a "bridge"!
Oukaou was confused.

The tree cracked, and the first tremors.
Rahan may not be that crazy!?
More force, Oukaou, more force!

The roots burst from the dry earth and.
Crack!

Crack!
Ra-ha-ha!
Only one tree has done more work than a whole clan of lumberjacks!

Page Thirty-Three.

Crack!
Like the skeletons of the cave, the trees collided, one uprooting the other, to the edge of the gorge!
We are saved!

Not yet, Rahan! The "Goddess" hunters.
Are pursuing as fast as they can!
Hear them!
In fact the clamors approached.

Er, I, I am.
Do not look at the void, Oukaou, you will have less vertigo!
A dangerous bridge, the tree connected the edges of the gorge.

At the bottom of which rumbled the waters of a torrent.
Here they are!
The clan of the valley of nightmares had just emerged. And.

The pack, gripping the roots, commenced to retract the bridge.
As soon as the tree no longer reaches to the cliff, it will fall in the void!
And us with it!

Page Thirty-Four.

And I never knew how to "crawl" on the water!
It will be the best opportunity to learn Oukaou!
The tree suddenly tilted them, precipitating them into the void!

Argh!

If we are not knocked out by this tree, the torrent may bring us back to the big lake.

Schiaoffl!

Well!?
You see how easy, Oukaou!
It looks like you spent your young life diving into precipices.
Ha-ha!

Page Thirty-Five.

Gripping the dead tree, they were lead into the middle of a large lake.
It was on this island that the clan kept.
Naouna captive!

A little later.
Yes. Naouna lived here! Here is the proof!
The figurine discovered by Oukaou represented the.

Face of Rahan!
Naouna liked to sculpt wood a lot.
This proves that she did not forget you!

The son of Crao was surprised.
But how is it that you know so many things about Naouna!?
Oh. That is very simple.

Naouna is my sister!
Your. Your. Your sister!?

Yes Rahan. But you have always ignored it!
However, I still remember your arrival in our clan.
At the foot of the split mountain.
Page Thirty-Six.

I was only one girl and you did not pay any attention to me!
You only had eyes for Naouna. Your Naouna!

I admit I was almost happy on the day where Naouna abandoned the clan to leave you to your destiny!
But in turn, you left us.

Naouna returned later, saying that she was waiting for a "little man".
It was then that she was removed by those of the valley of nightmares!

I had decided to try everything to deliver her when, by the greatest of hazards, your track and mine have crossed!

Here is my whole story, Rahan. I. You.
Wroom!

A dull rumble, inexplicable, had just interrupted Oukaou.
What is going on, Rahan? I am afraid!
And Rahan is probably as afraid as you!
The son of the fierce ages had experienced a thousand strange dangers.
And yet, this time, he thought he was dreaming.

Page Thirty-Seven.

Incredible! It looks like the lake bottom is lifting!
The waters of the great lake went up to the sky, forming a gigantic, fantastic wave.

A wave that rolled, roaring towards the island!
She is going to take everything, Rahan!
The thickets. The trees. And we with it!

How to resist this mountain of water.
We have a last chance!
Attach ourselves to this tree!

It only took a moment to link Oukaou to the dead tree.
He also got there when the wave broke.
Wrouffa!

Page Thirty-Eight.

Rahan and Oukaou, did not see the island disappear under the foam of the wave that was sweeping it.
They had disappeared themselves!
They glimpsed for a moment what no human had yet seen.

An underwater volcano vomiting its lava.
In the depths of the large lake.

The Tree-Buoy brought them back to the surface where from all sides had fled the sea monsters.
Strange. It looks like everything is already finished!?

The anger of the underwater volcano seemed to have stopped.
Large swirls were still agitating the waters, but the fantastic wave spread towards the horizon to die there.

The current took them to a large gorge where the lake was becoming a river.
A rapid, but curiously peaceful river, compared to what they had just experienced!

Page Thirty-Nine.

For a long time the tree-raft descended in the current.
The setting sun suddenly appeared at the bottom of the gorge, which has become narrow.

The split mountain!
We returned to the territory of your clan, Oukaou!
You will tell yours what is happening in the nightmare valley!

Uh and me!?
You will also tell yours that Rahan does not dare to see them again without having found Naouna!

The son of Crao had reached the shore.
Raha, Rahan, I.
Do not discuss it, Oukaou!
Rahan does not have the courage!

Rahan dropped a kiss on the forehead of the young blushing companion.
And you? What.
What are you going to do?

Rahan will descend the river.
Do you see, for once, his knife agrees!
Page Forty.

And if Naouna and her "little man" have survived, Rahan will find them one day!
Anyway, he will live with this hope!

Farewell, Oukaou, farewell.
In a few seasons, you will meet a young hunter from your age, who will love you and that you will love!
And you will forget Rahan!

May the good spirits accompany you and protect you everywhere and always!
Farewell, Rahan.
Farewell!

And Naouna is still of this world, Oukaou wishes you to find her quickly!
The little girl observed the sculpted figurine by the one who had been the "Goddess of the valley of the nightmares."

Yes.
Oukaou may forget you one day. One day.
She already knew that this day was not close.
That would be forgotten from her heart and thoughts.
The son of Crao, the hunter with the hair the color of fire and the son.

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