[I'm glad we're not home.] Quynn sent to Sky.
[Why?]
[Because I think my fathers are about to have a pretty heated discussion about us.]
[Rage doesn't want us to go?] Sky asked.
[No.] Quynn sent. [But I think he'll have words about not being apart of the decision to let us go. My fathers are a little overprotective of me and you, especially Rage. But they trust each other so it'll be alright.]
From Winterhaven, they flew on over Tir Na and Fay Shrea and down over the Elven lands and Eventide and Dree then further south to the Shyr Ocean. Then they turned slightly east and headed out to sea. From a high altitude, they watched the ocean slide by beneath them as they rode the air currents to the southern continent of Aspana. As they reached the jungle continent, they realized how big it was. They saw jungles and grasslands and a great dessert that sat in the eastern part of the continent.
[So where are we heading?] Quynn asked. [That's a big continent down there.]
[Panthera is there in the west by the grasslands there. We should land there first.]
[I'll follow you down.] Quynn sent.
Angling his wings, Sky started down with Quynn following right behind him. They circled over the jungle until they came to the edge of the savanna then dropped down to land.
The savanna of Panthera is a rolling grassland with scattered shrubs and trees, which can be found between the tropical rainforest of Tigaress and the desert land of Peresis. It's a very dry part of the country that doesn't get very much rainfall to support forest. As Quynn and Sky looked around, they saw huge birds flying from tree to tree. They were like vultures only bigger and black. Sky knew they were predators out hunting small animals in the high grasses.
Further out, they saw a huge gray four-legged beast with long tentacle-like appendages hanging from their faces moving through the grass. Right beside the beast were huge gray men and women, they were traveling right with the beast. But it didn't look like they were herding them. It looked more like they were talking with the beast. As they moved, Quynn saw one of the gray men shift and change into one of the beasts. It seemed they weren't just animals but another form of Were beast. They had never seen anything like them before. There were so many different kinds of life here, they would have to be very careful and keep a watch on what lurked in the grass or jungles.
"Where should we start looking?" Quynn asked. He took out a waterskin and took a sip. The heat here was amazing, it was much hotter then at home. "How do we find the Princes?"
"We need a guide." Sky said. "And more information, otherwise we'll just wander through Aspana with no idea where to go."
"OK." Quynn agreed." How do we find a guide?"
"G'ania Gazini said someone would be waiting for us." Sky said. "So I think we should find someplace comfortable and wait for our guide."
He looked around and saw the trees on the edge of the rainforest. "There," He pointed. "In the shade of the trees. That would be better than here in the sun."
Quynn passed the waterskin to Sky and they made their way through the grass to the tree line by the river and the comfort of its shade. Quynn sat down and pulled Sky down next to him, and they laid there and watched birds dive for fish while they waited.
Unknown to either Sky or Quynn, something lurked in the grass watching them. As a matter of fact, there were five of them and they were slowly making their way through the tall grass toward where they were waiting. The five hyenas separated, two came from the north, while the other three came from the east and west. Slowly they moved in until they were within five meters, then they charged in for the kill.
A sudden rustling in the grass caught Quynn's attention and he turned as the Hyenas charged. Before either Quynn or Sky could react, a blur of white fur leaped out of the bush and grabbed two of the Hyenas. The White lion roared as it slammed the two Hyenans into the bush willow tree, then grabbed his sword and swept it up and sliced into the chest of a third Hyena. Quynn jumped to his feet and grabbed the Hyena that came at him out of the air and rolled with it, then grabbed it by the throat and squeezed with all his might. The Hyena scratched and claw at him as it struggled for air. Quynn lifted it up, then slammed it back down to the ground cracking its skull and breaking its neck.
As the last of the Hyenans looked at Sky, he raised his hand and sent a pulse of magic at it. It leaped into the air to avoid the blast, then shifted to a human-like form and kicked dirt at Sky and ran off with a hysterical laugh back into the rainforest.
Quynn and Sky turned to face the White lion man ready to fight. Sky readied a power ball as Quynn took a fighting stance and stepped in front of Sky to protect him. The Lion man turned toward Sky and Quynn with his sword in hand and took a step forward. He raised his hands and re sheathed his sword in his back scabbard and roared. Sky jumped back and raised the power ball to throw it. Quynn grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Be calm Love." Quynn said. "His roar was his way of greeting us."
"Yes it is" He bowed to them. "My name is Dar'yl Radal of Panthera, Regent G'ania Gazini sent me here to guide you on your search. It seems I came just in time. These Hyenans were just about to attack."
Dar'yl was tall and muscled with white fur and a white mane. He had clear ice blue eyes and a black and pink nose with a small scar right beneath his left eye, One ear had a small notch with a gold ring in it. He wore white leather bands in a harness that wrapped around his chest with the lion head emblem on his right shoulder and pants to match. At his side in sheaths on his belt, there were two long knives, one on each side.
"My name is Sky Petrus." Sky reached out to shake his hand. "And this is my mate, Quynn Tyr of New Keanna. Your regent asked for our help, but to help, we'll need to know something about who we're looking for. What can you tell me about the two missing princes?"
"We're looking for Prince Sakura Duma of Panthera and Prince Astan Kinya of Tigaress." Dar'yl explained. "The regent thinks either they have runaway together or they have been kidnapped. If they have runaway, then we have to find them and bring them back. If they have been kidnapped, then we have to rescue them."
"Who do you think might have kidnapped them?" Quynn asked.
"Mulu Amin." Dar'yl said. "He's the Witch lord of the Hyenans and all the Canin people. He's been raiding both the lands of Panthera and Tigaress and a few others, he wants to rule all of Aspana. If he took the Princes, he could cause our people to go to war."
"I see the problem." Sky said. Sky and Quynn walked was and looked down on the dead Hyenans. They were different, but they looked a little like Werewolves. "We need someone that can slip into Canin and see what's going on."
"I wonder." Quynn looked over to Dar'yl. "What would happen if a few of our Canins appeared in Hyenan country?"
"You have Canins where you come from?" Dar'yl tilted his head and frowned. "Are they warriors?"
"Yes." Quynn smiled. "Yes they are. You just tell me where to send them and I'll have them here in a few hours."
"I will tell you." Dar'yl said as he scanned the savanna around them. "But we should get moving. The Hyenans don't stalk alone. The one that escaped will be back with more warriors, and we don't want to be here when they get back."
"Then where are we heading?" Sky picked up the pack and handed it to Quynn.
"We go east." Dar'yl said. "Tigaress is east of us. Prince Sakura met Prince Astan in Tinpa, that is where we should start."
As they headed east, Quynn called out to his father to report in. He told him they had made it to Aspana safely and they just might need a little help.
[What kind of help?] Jandar asked.
[Werewolf help.] He said. [There are Were down here and we need someone that can go in and investigate.]
[And you can't go?]
[No.] Quynn told him. [I'm to young. I need someone that commands respect, they might not see me as an adult. I really need Uncle Tof but I know he's to busy. Uncle Ono would be fine. And tell him to bring Ranjer, he might need his magic.]
[Anything else?]
[Yes.] Quynn said. [Tell him beware of Mulu Amin. He rules the Canin down here. That's the Hyenan people. My guide says he's a very powerful witch lord and he might be holding one or both if the Princes I'm looking for.]
[I see.] Jandar sent back. [I will let you know when I know something.]
[Thank you Father.]
From the Pantheran savanna, they headed east into Tigaress. Dar'yl took the lead and lead them through the dense jungle. He pointed out various plants, birds and animals of interest and landmarks. He showed them jungle temples dedicated to various jungle gods and different wonders of jungle life. Where to find food and safe water and if lost and how to find their way if they were separated from him. He pointed out poisonous snakes and insects that could kill with a single bite. He showed them all the dangers they might encounter while making their way through the Aspana jungle. Quynn made sure they paid close attention to his every word. His fathers had always taught him that when in new and different locations, knowing his surroundings could make the difference between life and death.
As they made their way through the jungle, there were eyes all high up in the trees watching them. Ears heard every twig that snapped underfoot and every leafs rustle. Their scents left a trail showing every step they took. Swing from tree to tree the quiet hunters watched and followed them as they picked their way through the jungle trails. Something fell from up in the trees and hit Sky on the shoulder. He looked up and saw a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. At first he thought it was a bird taking off from a nest in one of the trees, then he thought he saw eyes looking down at him. He looked closer, but in the rustle of the dense foliage it was gone, but he could still felt there were eyes on them.
"Is something wrong?" Dar'yl asked as Sky caught up with him.
"I think we're being watched." Sky said as he watched the trees. "There's something up in the trees following us."
"I know." Dar'yl said causally. "They've been following and watching ever seen your arrived in Panthera."
"What's going on?" Quynn asked.
"We have company." Dar'yl stopped and looked up into the trees. "And if he's this curious he just come down and talk to us. I know your up there Yas Twospear. You can come down now."
A soft chuckle rang through the trees as he swung down and landed a few feet from Dar'yl and walked out to join them.
"Myumbo." Yas Twospear said in greeting with a huge smile on his Simian face as pounded his chest in salute to his friend. Yas Twospear was a five foot eleven inch Chimpanzee dressed in a loin cloth with his two spears strapped across his back. He wore red and green beaded vest and the fang of a Hyena hung from one ear. "It is good to see you again Dar'yl Radal my friend. Who are the pale strangers, and what brings you to the rain forest?"
"Myumbo." Dar'yl pounded his chest with both fist. "This is Quynn Tyr and Sky Petrus of Taggitia and we are in search of the missing royal cubs of both Panthera and Tigaress. Have you or any of your hunters seen either of them?"
"I was hunting by the tall waters not two night ago." Yas told him. "When I saw Sakura Duma running from the laughing dogs. They ran him to the edge of the big rocks and he jumped. The last I saw of him, he was diving into the white water."
"And what of the Hyenans?" Sky asked. "Did they follow?"
"Dogs are afraid of water." Yas said. "They had to find a way down through the rocks. He was gone by the time they climbed down, but they we're on his scent moving south."
"Good." Dar'yl said. "He's moving away from Hyenan country. We can still catch him if we hurry. My thanks good friend."
"My hunters and their spears are always ready to help." Yas said as he started to heading back up into the tress. "All you have to do is get to the trees and call. We will come."
As Yas and his hunters swung off, Dar'yl turned to Sky and Quynn to explain their next move.
"Sakura is at least two days ahead of us." He said. "We can started heading south, or we can head into Tigaress and see if we can find anything on Prince Astan. The regent ordered you in charge, so it is your choice. What should we do?"
"Sky." Quynn said. "It's your mission. What do we do?"
"I think we should go after Sakura." Sky told them. "I saw him in my dreams and I'm sure we can find him. It will be a long journey, but we can do it."
"I do not know how it would be possible to catch up with him." Dar'yl frowned. "He is at least two days ahead of us. There is no ways for us to travel that far that fast."
"Unless we fly." Quynn said with a smile.
"Only birds fly." Dar'yl laughed. "You make a very funny joke. Now what will we do?"
"It's no joke." Quynn said. "Just find us a big enough clearing and you'll see."
Dar'yl thought the two northerners were a little crazy when they spoke of flying. He knew it was impossible but he really didn't have any other ideas. Killian's oasis was just a few miles away, and that was more than enough of a clearing. He led them on to the oasis and down to the fresh clear water pond where he took a drink and filled his waterskin. Then he turned to Quynn and Sky to see what they would do next.
"This will do." Sky said. He walked out and got himself a drink, then went beyond the tree line and turned back to Dar'yl and smiled. "Are you ready?"
"I guess." The Lion man said as he sat down on the edge of the pond. He turned to Quynn. "What's he think he's doing?"
"Just watch."
As Sky stood there, he closed his eyes and spread his arms and lifted his head to the sky. Suddenly as Dar'yl watched, a freezing wind swept in and bright snow crystals swirled around Sky and enveloped him in a cloud of frost. Dar'yl jumped to his feet and staggered back from the pond in shook and amazement. In seconds Sky burst from the cloud in his Snow Phoenix form and flew up into the hot Aspana sky and flew a circle around the pond then came down to land. Quynn walked out to Sky and put his hand on his back.
"You believe us now?"
Dar'yl shook his head. He couldn't believe what he had just saw. Sky, the handsome white haired boy had just turned himself into a seven foot white feathered bird.
[Not a bird.] Dar'yl heard in his head. [I'm a Snow Phoenix and Quynn is a Dragon. Would you like to see his Dragon form?]
"No." Dar'yl stammered. He stepped in closed to Sky and felt the cold radiating from him. "I guess you really can fly."
"Yes." Quynn said. "We both can. We can both grow big enough to carry you south after Prince Sakura."
"Then we should wait until after dark." Dar'yl told them. "We should be very careful of who see's you. There are many in Aspana that would hunt a treasure like you if they see you."
[Hunting us would not be smart.] Sky said as he shifted back to his normal form. "My Phoenix form is exotic, but its not quite as defenseless as it looks."
"I hope not." Dar'yl said. "We should get some rest. We have a long way to go tonight and we'll need to be as alert as possible."
It was dark when Prince Astan opened his eyes. He sat up and looked around wondering where he was. He was in an unfamiliar room. It looked like some kind of hut, he could see the night sky and stars glowing above through gaps in the planks in the ceiling. If he was in a hut, that means he wasn't in Tinpa or Naraya. Then where was he? This could be a hut in one of the outer villages of Tigaress or he could be in Panthera, Yekuta or, a shiver went through him when the idea hit him. It might be a Jackal village or something even worst. A Hyenan village. Those laughing dog bastards had been a thorn in the side of both the Tigaress and the Pantherans for centuries. Mulu Amin would like nothing more than to get his grubby paws on the crown prince of Tigaress. He could demand almost anything as ransom and his father would pay to get him back. But would Mulu Amin return him? That was the question. He had seen the way he looked at him, and they had been chasing after him and Sakura for years. There was no telling what Mulu Amin would do if he had him under his control.
Astan stood up and walked around the small hut essaying his location. There was a bowl and a spoon on av table and a sleeping fur on the floor. The hut had no windows, just a door. As Astan peeked out between the slats in the door, someone quickly threw a cover over the door.
"Get away from the door." A voice said as it banged on the side of the hut. "Get away or you will be sorry."
Astan ignored the voice. The door didn't looked very strong. Astan knew he could break it down easily and then he could deal with whoever was holding him hostage. Astan stepped back and prepared himself to ram the door. Suddenly excruciating pain ripped through his body. He fell to the ground and roll and screamed clutching his arms to his chest as pain like lightning flashed through his mind.
"I told you to get back from the door." The voice laughed. "If you touch it again, the pain will be even worse."
"Wh, who are you?" Astan asked as searing pain settled into a heavy throbbing through his head and back.
"I am your captor." It said. "That's all you need to know right now. The pain will put you to sleep. You will find food in there when you wake up. Now go to sleep."
Astan tried to resist the urge to sleep, but the pain had taken all his strength. He was exhausted. He dropped into a deep sleep with the thought of Sakura's powerful arms wrapped around him whispering that he loved him and he was safe again.
From the Yafet river, Sakura headed east for Naraya. It was a tough trek through the grasslands into the jungle with the Hyenans never to far behind him on his trail. At one point, he ran into a small group of them waiting to ambush him as he made his way through the jungle. Sakura shifted to his Lion form and quietly stalked them one at a time until he had caught all the of them. With these enemies down, he tied their bodies up and hung them from a tree as a warning and hurried on to Naraya.
At the edge of Naraya, Sakura donned his cloak and crept by night into the village to the house of Juma Busar and quietly knocked at the door.
"Who knocks at my door at this hour of the night?" Someone asked from inside the house.
"It's me Juma." Sakura whispered. "Prince Sakura."
Juma opened the door and quickly pulled Sakura in and shut it and locked it. Juma was a dark furred Panther dressed in cotton tunic and pants.
"Myumbo my friend." He said, he reached out and gripped Sakura by his arms. "I have been waiting for two nights for you and Prince Astan to arrive. I was beginning to get worried."
"You mean Astan isn't here?" Sakura pushed back his hood then ran past him and hurried in to check the other rooms.
"No." Juma said. "I was hoping he was with you."
"He was to meet me here." Sakura said. "He should've arrived yesterday. I've been busy running and fighting Hyenans. Where is he?"
"I don't know my Prince." Juma shook his head. "Perhaps he changed his mind."
"No, I don't think so. Something's happened. If he changed his mind he would have found a way to send me a massage. He would have sent a message through you to keep me from worrying and going to the palace to look for him."
"I can go to the palace." Juma said as he took his cloak from the hook by the door. "I'll go and check to prove he's home safe."
"That would take all night." Sakura stopped him. "And there are Hyenans out there in the jungle hunting. Its not safe to be in the jungle tonight."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Sakura thought for a few minutes. There had to be another way to contact Astan. He couldn't go to the palace. Maybe there was a way with magic to contact him.
"Who is the village shaman in Naraya?" Sakura asked.
"Zakia Manzi." Juma said. "Why do you ask?"
"Do you know how to find him?"
"He lives in a cave up on the eastern hill outside of town." Juma still didn't know what a Shaman could do to help them find Astan.
"Do you trust him?" Sakura asked. "What kind of magic does he use? Is he good or evil?"
"Zakia can be trusted." Juma assured him. "He only practices healing magics and charms. He is one of Mulu Amin's worse enemies."
"Can you bring him here to me, tonight?" Sakura took off his cloak and sat down at the table. "I need to speak with him."
Juma quickly put back on his cloak and hurried out to bring back the Shaman. While he waited, paced back and forth through the house and worried about his missing love. Where could he be? Was he ok? Was he hurt? Sakura had no idea, but hopefully the Shaman could help him find his answers.
Within forty minutes, Juma returned with the Shaman at his side.
Zakia Manzi was tall a black furred Panther with a gray beard and sideburns. He had several gold rings in his ears and he was dressed in black and gold wrapped around his chest and waist with yellow beads around his neck. He walked into Juma's house and bowed to Prince Sakura.
"Myumbo my Prince." He said. "I have been expecting your call and I know what it is you want."
"Then you can help me find Prince Astan?"
"Yes I can." Zakia walked up to Prince Sakura and touched his right on his forehead over his nose and between his eyes. "Sleep my Prince and you will see your prince and dream of someone that will help you find him. Sleep Prince Sakura and dream."
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