"Move away from the Master's pits Human." Snarled the lead warrior. Ranjer looked at the others, then stood up to face them.
"Who are you?" Ranjer called out with his hand on his hilt. "My orders were to bring them in to be judged by the Master. He never said anything about an escort."
"That's because he never gave you those orders," He yelled as he climbed down off his mount. "I am General Clav Do' gon. I am in charge of all of Mancora's armies and troops. Mulu took a chance on you thinking you might be some help with destroying the Tigaren's and Pantheren's but that doesn't seem to be the case. You will stand forward and allow my warriors to take you into our custody, or we will take you by force. What will it be?"
[Listen everyone.] Ranjer sent out. [This isn't going as easy as I thought it would. Deja, you free out friends trapped in the pits while Kifedi, Ferel and I hold these troop back. Move as fast as you can, I get the feeling we might need a little help. I don't think General Do' gon is going to take my bullshit for very long.]
[Be fast my love,] Kifedi kissed Deja. [Do'gon is known for his cruelty. I will not allow him to take us. I will kill to prevent that.]
As Ranjer looked up and down at the troop Do'gon had brought with him, he had to admit to himself that these warriors looked ready and able to do some real damage on him and the others. Ranjer couldn't let that happen. He also couldn't allow Quynn, Sky and the others to spend one more night in the hands of that Aspanan dictator. Mulu had destroyed many communities all across Aspana and they had no idea what he would do next. But there is one thing they all knew. He had to be stopped before his army was so big that he was a treat to the reason of Keanna.
Turning his charm up, Ranjer walked out to stand mere feet away from the Hyenen General. His aura of manliness and sexuality flowed out to overwhelm the general's senses. To Do'gon, Ranjer suddenly seemed taller and more muscular. He was more than handsome with a sparkle in his eyes and smile that had the General's heart pumping like mad.
"There must be some mistake," Ranjer said with an innocent look. "I'm not the dangerous one here. It wasn't me that attacked Starspeak and burned the Aerie to ash. I didn't order Goren's wife beaten and beheaded. I didn't order you and your troops to butcher innocent towns and villages. Mulu did this. He's the one that betrayed you, but here you are now ready to attack me."
General Do' gon stared at Ranjer unsure of what to say or how to react. He felt a sudden surge of adrenaline and the rise of his penis in his armor. He was turned on by the Human. There was no doubt about that, but what should he do about it? He had to find a way to get him alone, then he could make his advance toward him.
With his hand up, he signaled his lieutenant to stand at ease, then he started forward toward Ranjer and his rebels.
"General?" Lieutenant Osten called. "What are you doing?"
"Take the others." Do'gon ordered. "Leave him to me."
"NOW!"
Spreading his arms, Ranjer blasted the warrior line taking down five Dog warriors then leaped into the air shifting to his Eagle form. Behind him, Ferel pulled his sword and dived in slicing left then right, a stab to the center as he flipped and cut down his fourth victim. Kifedi howled and took his Demondog form. With extended arms, he grabbed two warriors and threw them at the line where they crashed down into the crowd knocking out another two warriors. From high above, Ranjer streaked then dived down slashing at a warrior as he pulled his sword to defend himself. He slashed high over his head trying to cut the eagle down. Shifting again, Ranjer fell hard stabbing down with his sword. The warrior gasped as blood bubbled out from his dying lips.
Standing at the lip of the pit, Deja searched the rim for a way to break the spell holding the prisoner in. She couldn't tell who was in the pit. But she knew whoever it was, they were an enemy of Mulu. That made them a possible friend to her. Breaking them free might give them a reason to join with them against the Hyenen. Scattered all around the top of the pit, Deja saw bones scattered like small rocks. Embedded into the ground in four even places, there were yellow crystals that glowed with power. That had to be it. Reaching out she grabbed a stone and slammed it down into a crystal and scattered it. With a flash of light, the spell broke freeing its prisoner. Stepping closer to the rim, Deja gazed down to see who the prisoner in the pit was. Suddenly there was a roar and something leaped out over Deja's head. Turning around, Deja found herself standing face to face with a five-foot tan lion.
"Sakura? Is that you?"
[Yes.] He sent as he leaped into battle. [Get the others out. We'll take care of these Mutts.]
Snarling with anger, Sakura smacked a warrior dragging his claws across his chest. As he spun around, a warrior raised his sword aiming to drive it through Sakura's back. With a mighty thrust, the sword fell and snapped into three pieces and fell clattering to the floor. Confused, the warrior stood there opened mouthed. Then Ranjer was on him, appearing out of the mist where he had deflected the blow on Sakura's back.
[My thanks. friend.] Sakura sent as he shifted back to his normal form and grabbed a warrior and punched him twice in the face and then in his gut, as it fell, Sakura reached down and grabbed its sword. Armed and ready, Sakura jumped to Ferel's side and helped him keep the warriors from interrupting the battle being fought by the two leaders.
Armed with the Punisher, a weapon forged and created in Settlement by Jandar and Dreik. Ranjer and General Do'gon faced off.
"Your spell has worn off Human," Do' gon said as they walked in a circle. "I know who you are now."
"You know nothing General." Ranjer laughed as his eyes started to glow. "I am not what you think I am. I am much more than a Human. I am Ranjer Davelo Zlenka Tyr, prince of Vasagi and Tir Na. I will give you this chance to turn and leave and it will be as if we never met. But if you raise your sword to me, your life will end here. Is Mulu really worth all that? Decide now."
Without any further conversation, Do' gon charged in with his sword raised and ready to fight. His sword swung down slamming into Punisher then he spun slamming twice at Ranger's side. Punisher followed Do'gon's swing with an effortless style then swung around to deliver and blow to Do'gon's side slicing through his chainmail. With a groan, Do' gon stabbed in then kicked out into Ranjer's knee. For a second his knee buckled but as Do' gon tried to take advantage, Punisher was there to counter his blow.
As Mulu's troops fell and Quynn, Sky, and Astan made their way out of the pits, Do'gon backed away from Ranjer. He had lost and Mancoro was now in the enemies hands. Mulu's outrage could be heard echoing through the hills and the streets and home of what was once his home.
[YOU HAVE FAILED ME DO'GON AND LOST MY HOME!!]
"I'm sorry Master!" He screamed. "I tried but they were more powerful than my troops and I."
[YOU WANT POWER?]
"Yes." He yelled. "To defeat your enemies, give me the power!!!"
[Very well.] Mulu said. [I will give you what you want. I will give you more than you can handle.]
As Do' gon backed away laughing, his body started to give off a strange glow. Ready to continue their battle, Ranjer stepped up and started spinning his hands as he launched his next spell. Blue bolts of power shot from his hands. They hit like hammers rocking Do'gon as he absorbed the energy. Curious, Astan sent two shots at Do'gon and watched as they were taken into him.
"No more!" Kifedi grabbed Ranjer. "Get away! Mulu is filling him with some kind of deadly energy. We must run and get away from here!"
Looking around, Sakura notices there was still one pit that hadn't been opened and his father wasn't there with them. Taking off in a run, he screamed to Astan.
"Love, there's one more pit there! It must be my father! We have to get him out!"
Together Sakura and Astan dived to the ground at the rim of the pit. This one was different than the one they had been in. There was no crystal generating power to keep its prisoner in. This one was being held by a complex spell that only Astan could see. Turning quickly, Astan grabbed Sakura.
"You must take the others and go." He gave him a quick kiss. "I will stay to break the spell."
"No!" Sakura cried. "We can do it together. I won't leave you!"
"You have to Love." Astan weaved a spell and cast it at Sakura. "I will need all my concentration to unweave the spell. I won’t have the power to protect us both. I love you Sakura. Now go!"
As Sakura disappeared, Astan reached out and took the strings of power in separated the reds from the green.
Out on the field, Do'gon had grown to ten feet as he reached for Kifedi who was last away right behind Deja. As Do'gon's hand wrapped around Kifedi, he lifted him then squeezed his hand close. Turning back, Deja screamed as she watched her love disappear in the hands of the monster. Seeing Deja scream, Quynn grabbed her and pulled her away while she yelled to let her go back for him.
"I WILL BRING DEATH TO YOU ALL!!!!!!"
Now Do'gon stood close to twenty feet tall and he was glowing so bright that he scared the people of Mancoro out of the village and into the jungle. With thunder like steps, Do' gon turned and saw Astan busy unraveling the strand of Msia's prison. In two steps he was there towering over the Tigaren who never stopped. With a maniacal burst of laughter, Do'gon slammed his foot down on the pit. Just then, Do' gon blew up, the explosion blasted an area of fifty feet around the pit devastating the village and all the jungle around it.
As Sakura sat up and brushed away the debris, he looked into the into where his mate had been working to free his father. There was nothing there except the burned remains of the Hyenen village.
"ASTAN!!!!!"
Getting to their feet, Sakura, Quynn, Sky, Ferel, and Deja ran hoping over debris and around potholes that covered the ground.
"Where is he?" Sakura said frantically digging and throwing debris as he searched for his love. Deja stood to the side crying, mourning the loss of her Hyenen mate. As Quynn and Sky joined the search, a shadow dropped down from above.
"I'm here Love," Astan called out. "So is Kifedi. We're safe."
As Inferno came down to land, Astan and Kifedi jumped down off his back. With tears in their eyes, Deja and Sakura ran to their mates and grabbed then in a tight hug and held on tight.
"I thought I lost you," Sakura said in his ear. "Please don't scare me like that again."
"But it’s Ok for you to go jumping into every battle you can find." Astan pushed away from Sakura. "I love you but I'm not an innocent child."
"Astan." Sakura frowned. "I'm the prince of Panthera and I have to protect both you and my country."
"Right, and I'm the Prince of Tigar and I have the same duties. I'm not a child, I'm a fully powered warlock and I can protect myself. I trust you to be a warrior, why can't you trust me?"
"I'm sorry Love." Sakura pulled him into his arms and kissed him. "I'll try and do better from now on."
"You better." Astan smiled.
"As Quynn and Sky watched, Sky turned to Quynn with an accusing look.
"I know," Quynn said. "I'll do better too."
After a hug and a kiss, Quynn went over to where Ranjer stood with Ferel.
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," Ranjer frowned. "What did you expect your parents would do? You lucky it’s not Dreik, Denner and Tomar."
"So. What are we doing now?" Ferel asked.
"We go and finish this war," Msia said. "We go home, I'm sure that's where Mulu is."
After a search of what was left of Mulu's house, they started on their way north to Tigaress and Panthera. In a blasted tree outside the gate of Mancoro, something dark watched then left to report back to its Master. Now the hard part will begin.
On a hill over the border of Jameri, Aggar studied the maps of the region. There were Hyenens to the right and Jackals to the left. The only way to go was straight up the middle but there could be Jackals and Hyenens already there waiting for them. As he looked out at the horizon, Pretoni Janks, the chief of a Jaguar clan came up to stand at his side.
"What troubles you, my friend?"
"This." Aggar pointed at the map. "We're trapped here. The Hyenens are here and here while the Jackel’s are here blocking our way."
"Well, can't we go here straight up the middle?" Pretoni traced a line straight through the Elephant grazing land.
"Yeah, we could." Aggar nodded with a frown. "But we don't know what's in there. It could be a trap. Perfect place for it, don't you agree?"
"Yes." Pretoni agreed. "They could be stationed right behind that ridge. What do you suggest?"
"I have a friend who might be able to help." Turning away from Pretoni, Aggar told him to wait here, then he started up to his white tent. There, he found Akani staring blindly into space. Aggar knew that look wasn't good, he had seen it before."
"What is it?"
"We haven't made any headway into finding a new place for a Dragon. Dread not happy."
"Right now Akani," Aggar said, "I'm not sure we can find five people we can trust. Granting someone with Dragon status is not easy, we have to find the right one. Explain that to Dread. Tell him we are searching."
As Akani turned and looked to the west, his eyes glazed over as he lost contact with Aggar. He mumbled something then nodded and his eyes cleared.
"Dread understands and he says he'll give us more time. But he won't wait forever. He wants us to find two candidates within the next month. I think we can do it."
"So do I." Aggar shook his hand. "If we can end the war. Right now I need your help. We have to get back to Msia and my daughter Deja. To do that, we'll have to get our warriors through and back on the road to Tigaress."
"It won't be easy." Akani said. "As a matter of fact, it could be impossible."
"Have faith, my friend. Aspana still has heroes to protect it. Mulu hasn't won yet."
"Then let’s get on with it." Akani stood up and shook Aggar's hand. "We have a war to win."
After explaining their plan to Pretoni, Aggar and Akani headed out onto the savanna to open the way for their warriors to advance.
As the noon sun shined down on Tigaress, Palas dropped down from the sky at the city's main gate. He was surprised to find it open and unguarded. Hyenen's could walk in and take the city with very little effort. Something was wrong here and he was going to find out what it was. With his talons out and ready to fight, Palas entered the gate. The city was quiet, there was no one out and moving around the usually busy streets. As he looked to his left, Palas saw three Tigaren warriors laid out outside of the gatehouse. Hurrying over, he checked for a pulse. It was strong and steady. They were alive, unconscious, and not dead.
Moving on. Palas headed into the market place. There were Tigarens everywhere. It looked as if they had been going on with their normal day, and suddenly they dropped right where they were, bags and packages right at their sides. From the marketplace, Palas moved into the suburbs and the outer homes of Tinpa. It was clean and properly kept with fountains and parks and more of its citizens lying about asleep in the grass.
As Palas searched the city, an ominous feeling came over him. He knew Mulu and his troops were on their way to Tinpa. This might not be his work, but it had to be the work of one of his minions and for sure he would be coming to take advantage of it.
Spreading his wings, Palas shifted to his hawk form and took off for the palace. He flew high over the noble section of Tinpa heading straight for Yonas castle. Outside of the castle, Palas saw five tall heavily armed warriors working to fortify the palace against attack. From high over the palace, he couldn't tell if they were Tigaren or invading Hyenen. As he dropped down to circle the towers, he saw the warriors pointing then run into the palace. Diving down, Palas searched the windows looking for an easy egress into the palace. He saw the royal bedrooms, outer chambers, and several studies. In each room, he saw warriors and palace staff laid out among broken tables, dishes, and cutlery. Tipping his wings, Palas flew lower and found the windows of the throne room. With a quick flutter, he set down in the window and peered down into the throne room. In the Tigaren throne room, Palas saw four Tigarens passed out on the floor and four Pantheren standing there watching them.
"Thror." A Pantheren warrior called. "Take the king and his brother out and lock them in the dungeon."
"Why Deisis?" Thror asked in a demanding voice. "They won't be putting up much of a fight. Let them stay there."
"You do as you're told boy!" Deisis grabbed him and shook him. "The spell works now but it may not work tomorrow. We have to be ready for all courses."
Thror grumbled then called the other two warriors over to help him. As they lifted Yonas and Kapor over their shoulders, Thror nudged Zakia Manzi.
"What about them?"
"The old one is no threat to us." Deisis took his cloak off the throne and started out. "Leave them. Meet me down in the king’s office when you're done."
"Yes, Sir."
As they left the throne room, Palas hopped in and dropped down to land on the king's throne. Pantheren warriors, what are they doing here? Nyo had said there was going to be an invasion but by the Pantherens? They are our allies. This makes no sense. As he hopped down, Palas shifted to his normal form. The old one and the boy lay there with a look of fear and confusion on their faces. Palas wasn't sure what he should do or how he could bring them out of their coma state, but he knew it was Tinpa's only chance. As he kneeled down next to Zakia Manzi, he felt a surge of power run through his him. Surprised, he fell back. It felt like a bolt of electricity burning through his body. Crawling forward, Palas reached his hand out to touch the warlock. Suddenly his fingers began to tingle. Balling his hand into a fist, Palas pulled back then kneeled in to look Zakia Manzi in his eyes. A burst of blue energy glowed deeply in his eyes. Tilting his head, Palas thought about what his next move should be. He knew the warlock was there trapped deep in his mind, somehow he had to get him out. Looking up, Palas said a prayer.
"Tyree, Nurisha. Aspana is in deep peril. The Hyenen's are on the march and they mean to make slaves of all our people. I am alone, all my people are gone, but there are others who fight at my side. Help us. Help us to overcome our enemy. Help us to free Aspana. I beg of thee."
As Palas finished his prayer, a soft glow spread out all over Zakia Manzi and Kyan. With shaking hands, Palas reached out and grabbed the Warlock. Power fulled Palas as he threw back his head in a silent scream. As they're bodies shook, Zakia Manzi shot up and was held high by the staff he was holding. Lightning struck down through the window striking Kyan and the warlock. In a flash of lightning, Zakia, Kyan, and Palas were thrown to the ground. Dizzy from his impact with the wall, Palas sat up and shook off the effects of the lightning. As he looked around the throne room, he saw Zakia Manzi climb up and go to where the Tigaren boy sat.
"You alright boy?" Zakia asked.
"Yes, Sir." He got up on his feet. "What happened?"
"I'm not sure," Zakia said as he turned to face Palas. "Who are you and why are you here?"
"My name is Palas Astraeus," Palas bowed his head in respect. "I came here to warn the king about a stranger my friends and I came upon in the Domina jungle."
"Domina?" Zakia looked at him confused. "What's Gorillas have to do with us?"
"You know of Igoro Baba?"
"Yes," Zakia's face turned cold as if he was dreading what Palas was about to say.
"The Gorilla warlock made a pact with a stranger outside of the gates of Domina. The stranger’s part was to kill Yonas Kinya."
"And what of Igoro?" Zakia asked. "What was his part?"
"His part was to kill Astan and Sakura. I was sent here to stop the assassin's plot. To keep Tigaress from losing its king. I pray I'm not to late.
As Zakia heard the facts from Palas, he folded his arms behind started to pace the floor in front of the throne. This news was unexpected. With Yonas and Astan dead, Kapor would inherit the throne. He can’t be behind this, can he? Only one way to find out.
"Kyan." Zakia turned to the boy. "Are you fit to fight?"
"Yes, Sir!" Kyan crossed his arms and made fists of his hands to salute the warlock.
"Now, if we only knew where they took the king, we would know where to start."
"Your king is in the dungeon." Palas told them, "I heard them talking as I came in."
"Good," Zakia said. "You take our friend Palas here to the dungeon. Free the king and Kapor, but watch Kapor. He might be the one behind this."
"Where are you going?" Kyan asked.
"I am going after their warlock," Zakia said slapping his staff against his hand causing it to glow with power. "To wake our people. He must be dealt with.
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