It was dawn when Akani shook Aggar to wake him up. Aggar looked around and saw the morning sun rising. He looked over and saw Msia there and ready to go. He stood up and went to relieve himself.
"You will have to have your morning meal as we go." Akani said as he handed Aggar his pack. "The master wants to get moving."
"Have you slept?" Aggar asked him.
"I was on watch all night." Akani said with a yawn. He looked at Aggar with red eyes. "I had to be wake while his majesty was resting."
"Stop." Msia said as he turned to them. "Akani, You are not my servant. That's not what I had from you right now. For now you should be my comrade. We all have to work together if there's any chance for us to be victorious. That means I need you rested and ready. Is that clear?"
"Yes your highness." He said bowing.
"Please, call me Msia." The king put a hand to his shoulder. "Now, you get some rest while Aggar and I have a talk. I'll wake you in an hour."
Shouldering his pack, Aggar led Msia to a place by the fire pit where they sat down and got comfortable. Msia took the water skin filled with the Basolos red wine Aggar and Deja brought back and took a deep drink. Once he had his fill, he passed it over to Aggar, who shook his head no.
"I have a few questions about Dragons." Msia said as he sat down. "How long did you know Terra?"
"I met Terra just a few days ago." Aggar explained. "He knew his time was running out so he sent out a probe to draw someone in to take care of the egg until the right one came to join with it."
"Did he tell you who it was for?"
"No." Aggar shook his head. "But I think he knew who it was for. I think he knew I would be bringing it to either you or Akani."
"Akani?" He tilted his head in wonder. "Are you sure about that?"
"I think you both have it in you to host a dragonet. From what I have learned from Jandar and Rage, it takes a very special person to host a dragon. You need a strong and honorable mind to join with a dragon. A joining by the wrong host can be disastrous. Inferno will fill you in on Aspana's dragon history."
"It's funny." Msia smiled. "I always thought dragons were monsters, now I'm learning about things that scared me as a cub. And there's something else."
"What's that?"
"Inferno is telling me that there are more eggs." Msia said. "He tells me there is a clutch hidden two hundred years ago under a volcano beyond the southern tip of Gosia. Terra kept me with him but hid the others during the last great war in Aspana."
"Your saying there are more eggs out there somewhere?" Aggar sat up, very interested in what Msia was saying. "Does Mulu know anything about this. He has to know by now that you have the star."
"I'm not sure." Msia said. "It's possible. He does have a way of knowing things he shouldn't."
"Then that should be where he'll head next." Aggar stood up and took some water and threw it on the fire. "Do you have any idea where the clutch is?"
"Yes." Msia said. "Terra hid it in a volcano in Basmasia. It's a long journey from here. We will have to fly."
"Can you carry us?"
"Of course." Msia smiled. "Right now, Akani needs rest. He was up all night on watch. We can be on our way as on as he wakes up."
After tending to Beno and taking a short rest, Goren had them back on the trail with Palas in the lead. As they made their way through the jungle, Goren told Astan about how his father had rose to power. Twenty years ago, Domina was prosperous and stable under the leadership of my grand sire Anon Baba. We had trade with some of the other lands and that included Tigaress and Panthera. Back then I remember sitting at my gran sires knee while he talked and debated policy with the heads of the many other kingdoms. We had peace then and everyone seemed happy, at least that's what I thought. There was one person that wasn't very happy. He wasn't content to trade out metals, livestock and our harvest with the others. He thought there was a better way. He thought we should invade the other lands and take what we want by force. That was my father Igoro Baba. For years he argued with grand sire. He said we have the forces to be the rulers of Aspana. It was our duty to crush the weak and force them all to live under our rein as the masters of Aspana. Grand sire disagreed saying peace was the only way to keep our people safe. Violence and bloodshed would only lead to war in Aspana and no matter how strong we might be, strength does not always guarantee victory. Father would argue on but it was Grand sire who had to make the final decision on what we would do, and his mind was set on a peaceful lifestyle.
Late at night, I remember father slipping in and out of our palace home to attend secret meetings that he organized with some of the others that agreed with him. One night I remember seeing a stranger in dark robes with a harsh laugh sulking around the grounds. When I asked father about him, he grew anger and grabbed me and beat me telling me not to interfere in things that were not my concern. He made me swear to never speak of the stranger again. With tearful eyes I made that promise. But that was my first mistake. My father knew no matter what happened, I would never brake my promise. I would never tell anyone about what I had seen no matter how badly I wanted to. Gran sire would never hear from me that my father was plotting against him.
After that, I kept a close watch on my fathers movements. I followed him out into the jungle to strange meetings with that stranger and to his private dwelling. I could hear his chanting from where I was hidden. He was up to something dark, I knew this but I had no way to stop him. My mystical training was no where near equal too his. I would have to wait to see what he was going to do.
It didn't take long. Within a week my father made his move. He organized his own men to go out on raids on some of the surrounding kingdoms. From the top of the city walls Grand sire and I watched as father marched back in to Domina with his newly captured slaves. Grand sire watched with a grim look on his face. As he turned around he slammed his staff down causing a loud thunderous noise and called down to my father.
"Igoro." He shouted. "I will see you immediately in the palace audience room."
With a nod and a evil grin, father continued on into the city gates and ordered his men to have his captives sent to our dungeons.
"He has gone to far Goren." Grand sire said to me. "He has disobeyed me for the last time."
"What will you do Grand sire?"
"I must right the wrongs your father has committed against the people of Aspana. He must be punished for his crimes."
The audience room was dimly lit as Igoro with his head held high made his way in toward the throne of his father the High chief of the Hominids. When he stopped he looked up at his sire without the respectful bow he was entitled to. Anon Baba stood up letting the robes he was wearing fall off to reveal his strong muscled physique. He slammed his staff down again rattling the room with the force of his anger and silencing the observing crowd.
"Igoro." Thundered the room. "What is the meaning of this? I made my positition clear to you and you have disobeyed me and invaded the lands out beyond our jungle. Explain yourself."
"I should think my motive are just as clear as your orders were Father." He said with a smile on his simian face. "I have taken the first step in declaring the Hominids the master race of Aspana. Something you should have done lone ago."
"Have a care my son." Anon said. "It takes more then strength and determination to win a war. You forget one of the most basic lessons I have tried for years to teach you. Its not about what you want or whats good for you. A wise chief puts the need of his people before his own needs. I know you want to rule all of Aspana. But have you even thought about how many will die trying to make you the master of your world? Do you even care?"
"No." He said. "I don't care. They are small and insignificant. I will be the master and their lives are nothing compared to mine."
Anon shook his head in disappointment at his sons attitude. He turned to the audience that stood back listening.
"Is this really what you want?" He asked. "Are you all willing to give yourselves over to this madman?"
Igoro stepped up in between his father and the others.
"Don't ask them. I am the one you are talking to." Igoro pushed his robes off to get ready to battle. "You have served here as chief for to long. Your time is done. Father, I challenge you to the right of ascension."
"Who stands with you Igoro?"
Igoro turned to look at me to stand with him. I turned away from him to stand with my Grand sire.
"You won't stand with me, Goren? So be it."
As father turned to the crowd, several members of the his crowd stepped out to stand with him.
"We stand with Igoro."
"The challenge has been made." An elder said. "Anon, do you accept?
"Yes." He said as he slammed his staff down again. "I accept."
As Anon stepped out, he and Igoro moved into position in the center of the chamber to start their duel.
"Challenge is accepted." The elder said as he moved back and out of their way. "This is a challenge for the leadership of the Hominids. It is to the death. The challenge begins now!"
With a twist of his wrist, Igoro sent out his first spell. A blast of mystical blue energy shot out from his hand. Anon raised his shield in plenty of time to avoid the blast and send it back at Igoro. With a wave of his hand Igoro dismissed the blast then shook his fist and slammed it down causing a force of energy to appear over his fathers head. As he slammed down, the force came down trying to crush Anon. With a quick sweep of his staff, Anon parted the energy field and again through it back at Igoro.
"You will have to do better then that to defeat me Igoro." Anon said. "You won't beat me with spells I taught you."
"Then I'll have to get more inventive, won't I"
With a swing of his staff, Igoro conjured a lightning storm and sent stray bolts at Anon. With quick reflexes, Anon raised his staff and batted away each bolt. As he worked to avoid the lightning, Anon left an opening in his defenses. With an evil smile, Igoro conjured a series of silver daggers and sent them at his father right through the hole. As the daggers streaked in, Anon turned and caught them coming out of the corner of his eyes. Spinning around, Anon directed his shield to expand blocking all but one of the daggers. As the dagger sank into Anon's side, Goren yelled causing his father to turn his way. With that momentary distraction, Anon reached out with a telekinetic hand and grabbed Igoro. He raised him up over their heads then slammed him back.
"Keep your eyes on the battle, udanganyifu."
"Your right father." Igoro said as he stared at Goren with a venomous look. "Never again will I let sentiments cloud my mind. I don't need family or friends, they will only hold be back from reaching my goal. I will be the lord of all I see. I will be the master of Aspana, then I will take all of Keanna. And it will all start here."
As Igoro continued with his rant, Anon looked down to Goren.
[He speaks of great ambition.] He sent. [Goren, he will win this battle, but it is not over. He is wrong. friends and family are important. They are worth fighting for. Your father will do a lot of damage and many will die before he is stopped. We will lose both friends and family to his ambition, but the day will come when you will have to face him. Be strong little one, the battle is not lost. We may still win the day.]
Goren tried to ask his Grand sire to explain, but it was to late. The battle had begun again. With his hands held up, Igoro called down a rapid series of bolts and sent them at Anon. As they hit his shield, Goren saw cracks appear. Anon felt a series of shots that ran through his body.
"Beware my son." He said. "Do not allow your ambition to be your worst enemy."
"All my enemies will fall father, just like you."
With his hand held up, Igoro channeled the last of his hate into one final blast. Like a small sun the blast appeared and streaked straight at Anon. With his shields weakened, he didn't even try to avoid it. Instead he raised his hands and stopped it just before it hit him.
"You have won Igoro." He said calmly. "You are now the chief of the Hominids. But heavy is the crown on one that does not deserve the tittle. You may find out one day that being the chief is not as pleasing as you think. With my last ounce of power I pass on my knowledge to the one that deserves it most. Myumbo Igoro, may you one day learn the true meaning of honor."
As the blast hit Anon there was a great flash that blinded everyone. When there eyes cleared, Anon was gone. Only his staff remained. With a loud row of laughter, Igoro stepped forward to collect his prize.
"It last it is mine!!" Igoro reached down to grab the staff. As he touched it there was a sudden burst of energy. Igoro jumped back covering his eyes. When he reopened them, the staff was in Goren's hands.
"Give me that!!" He shouted. "Its mine!!"
As Goren held it out to his father, the staff disappeared.
"You have won the challenge." The elder said. "The Hominid tribe is yours to rule, but your father's staff is not yours nor will it ever be. It is Goren's now and it will always protect him."
Denied his prize, Igoro made his way over to stand before his son. Goren could see the anger in his fathers eyes, but he dare not raise a hand to his son. He know the staff would protect him. Instead he just turned and walked away, then called back to Goren.
"Anon is no more." He said. "I am chief now. Your day will come, and when it does, I will destroy you. Staff or not, you will die."
After an hour, Akani woke from his short nap refreshed and ready to go. Aggar explained where they would be going next as Msia shifted to his dragon form and moved to a better position for them to climb up onto his back. With Aggar and Akani set on his back, Inferno shook out his wings and launched himself into the sky. From the mountain cave they flew west to avoid Mancoro then turned south and headed for the Gosia. Gosia is a rocky land on the southern tip of Aspana. Not much lived there, just a few fishing villages and a few Sealen communities. From Goswia, They headed south over the Stygian sea and in to Basmasia. Basmasia was a violently volcanic island with very few inhabitants. The eastern side of the island was totally covered in volcanic ash and mud while the other three sides flourished with exotic plant life. Tropical fruit and vegetables grew wild all over the island. It had once been the home of a large Griffin community until the last Dragon war where it is said they were all wiped out. What better place to hide Dragon eggs than in the home of what was once they're most hated enemies.
As they flew over the coast of Basmasia, Akani held tightly to Inferno. Aggar knew he had his eyes closed. This was probably one of the most frightening things he had even done. But if he was going to be Msia's second, he had better get use to flying.
"Akani." Aggar squeezed his side. "Open your eyes. There's nothing to be afraid of. Inferno won't drop us."
[No my friend, I won't. Please trust me, I won't let you down.]
Slowly Akani opened his eyes to look at the beautiful scenery below them. It almost looked like paradise. There were fields of wheat growing wild and he could see grape vines from where he sat. There were pineapple plants and coconut and mango trees which suddenly made him realize how hungry he was. As they flew lower, they saw huts dotting curtain parts of the island. The island was differently inhabited. Akani nudged Aggar and pointed down at the huts.
"Yes." He said. "We should be careful. We know nothing about what may live here."
[I'm going to land there in that opening.] Inferno sent. [ Hold on tight.]
Beating back with his wings, Inferno dropped softly down for a landing. Once down, he stretched out his leg so Aggar and Akani could climb down from his neck. As Aggar and Akani stepped down off his leg, Inferno shifted back to his Msia form, and they were ready to start the search.
"Inferno says we should start searching there," Msia pointed to the volcano off in the distance.
"There must be hundreds of caves all around that thing." Aggar said. "How are going find it? It would take all day to search them all."
"When we get close to where they are hidden, I will sense them."
"Then we better get moving." Aggar said. "Mulu could already be here."
