Danger, Danger! 18

As Igoro roamed the dungeons of Domina, he thought back to his trip to Starspeak. The destruction of the Avian's was easy. Those simple minded feathered fools had no idea how dangerous he could be. Even after he stole their young for the slave market, they didn't put up a fight and that surprise him. He knew he would have no problem with the weaker species, but the Avian predators should have put up much more of a fight. But Eagles fell just like the  Doves, quick and easy with no resistance. From there, Igoro felt a familiar presence. It was that accursed Omerion Zucia, his fathers old and trusted friend. Igoro hadn't seen him since the day his father was defeated and put to death. That was the same day Igoro gained the rule over the Hominids but lost his fathers staff.
The Staff of Kiama was the magical staff held by the men of the Baba family for two centuries. Not only was it the staff of power, but every chief over the last two centuries had carried it. It was a sign of status to all of the Simian people of Aspana. Igoro's father had held, but his father did not did. Igoro and Mahad so far had been the only Baba chief that did not hold the staff. But there was something that not many of them knew. It had taken Anon years of research, somewhere buried deep in the dungeon store room, Anon found a secret library filled with tombs and books the chiefs had saved over the years. After weeks of study, Anon had found a number of books that told the history of the staff. The staff of Kiama had once been a spear held by Bursar Baba, He had carried it all through his reign in all wars and battles over a twenty year period. He was holding it the day Rhinons attacked and was forced to cast his first spell. With forty Rhinons facing him, Bursar called to his ancestor to come and help him defeat his enemies. As Bursar faced the Rhinons there was a sudden flash of lightning. The skies became grey and  rocked th e field. Bursar looked out, the Rhinons that had been facing him were all down laying in the mud to weak and burned to continue on with the battle. As the Rhinons saw their fellow warriors, a Rhinon dressed in bronze armor\ stepped and shouted a command for his warriors to move in and attack. The ground shook as the great thunder beast . The Gorillas thought this was going to be their end, but Bursar stood firm raising his staff into the air.
"Do not lose faith." He said. "We are strong and our ancestor are with us. We will not fall. This is the day we Gorillas stand against our enemies and make them pay! Come brothers, our future is before us!"
As they charged in, Bursar's staff lit up and started sending bolt after bolt into the Rhinons The Gorillas tore into the Rhinons taking the down one after another by hand. They used hammers, maces and anything else they could find. Sometimes the Rhinons found themselves facing Gorillas armed with Rhinon weapons. The battle was fierce, and it took all night, but by the morning, the field was littered with  the bodies of the dead. And to Bursar's surprise, most of  the dead were Rhinon. A cheer went up through the Gorilla racks as the Rhinons turned and limped away. A few days later the Rhinon chief came into the gorilla camp carrying the white flag of peace and an offering of land that gave the Gorillas the rights Hami oasis and everything around it for five miles. Bursar accepted the treaty and promised friendship between them for the rest of his reign.
As the war settled down and there was peace in the nation, Bursar sort out many different wisemen that could teach him more about this thing called magic. He learned that his was one of the few Gorilla families that had the capacity to use magic. They said there were many benefits to the use of magic, but there would also be limits and consequences. It would all depend on who yield the power. If the person used his abilities with honor, the gods would look down on them and smile. If they used them for selfish or criminal endeavor, there will a price to pay.
The Baba family had held the power in Domina for years. Bursar's father had been chief, just as his father before him. But Bursar had been the first to use the magic of staffs. Over the years had learned to use force spells and he learned the scepters secrets of its powers over fire and air. He learned how to focus his spells through the staff and more importantly, he learned that the staff was not infallible. It had its strength and weaknesses just like people. One of his aides had always admired the staff, he once said to him how great it must be to hold the staff during a battle.
"The greatness is not in the staff," Bursar said. "Its in the person that holds it and how he chooses to use it."
The aide bowed and stepped away in awe of the Gorilla chieftain. He hoped that he to could one day grow to be so wise.
After Bursar came Daudi. He was a stern Gorilla who built schools and tried to lead his people into a less aggressive way of life. His greatest accomplishment was the building of Domina's hospital. After Daudi came Mhina, then Tian and on and on and on until Mahad who was the son of Bawai.
Mahad Baba was always quiet Gorillla that kept to himself. He never had many friend and wasn't much into socializing, but he was very intelligent. Even at a young age, Mahad knew his purpose in life. He was to be the next chief in the city of Domina. That put him high above everyone else and gave him freedoms that know one else could claim. As a young Gorilla, Mahad learned to hunt at the feet of  Fanaki Adia. He learned the boundaries of all the lands around Domina. He learned their defenses and the high points of each species. The Rhinons and the Elephants had strength, but he didn't think either species was quick minded. The Water Buffalo had high endurance, but they were singled minded. It was hard for them to hold more then one idea at a time in their minds. Another slow witted neighbor. Hhe knew about the Pantherans and Tiigarens, but as a youngling, he had never met anyone from either species. He had seen the Avians as the flew around Ayss mountain, but none of them had ever come out on the savanna or into the jungle.
As a youngling, Mahad learned early about the past Chiefs and the magic they possessed. It took him a few years but one day he did cast his first spell. The more magic he used, the stronger he got. Mahad had only one fault his father could see. With his magic and his hunting abilities, Mahad never learned his fathers most important lesson. Compassion and empathy were foreign to Mahad, just as were the concept of  peace and mercy, it had no meaning fore him. All he could think of was conquest and in the direction he turn his life and the fate of Domina,
From the first days of slave hunting to the day he took the Chief's position from his father, Mahad ruled Domina with a strong heavy fist. Bawai had been a fair chief. He decided the course of Domina with honor and a righteous rule. Arguments that came before him were always ruled in a proper method. He would sat at his throne with the his father's staff always there to help steer him in the right direction. Not once did he see the jealous looks Mahad would give him from the side beyond the royal throne. Then came the day Mahad made his move.
While Bawai was distracted by an argument from to chiefs from a lower tribe, Mahad cast his spell on his father sending the sound of a hundred buzzing ants through his brain. Bawai screamed grabbing his head falling to the ground of Domina's courtyard. Bawai's warriors rushed out to help him but it was to late. Mahad's warriors were already there surrounding the chief.
"What madness is this?" Bawai said as he looked up at Madhad smiling down at him. "Move aside. Let my healers through."
"I'm sorry father but there will be no healers for you. The time has come for you to step aside and allow a much better Gorilla to us into the next course of Domina's history."
"You?" Bawai said shocked. "It is too soon for you to be chief. There are many thing left for you to learn. Your day will come, but not yet. Step aside."
As Bawai tried to climb back up on his feet, Mahad thrust out his hand and give his wrist a little twist. The pain in Bawai's head increased by ten sending him screaming again to the ground.
"That was not a request, Father." Mahad stood over him with a grim look on his face. "Your days as Chief of Domina have come to an end. I have a much better future in mind for our people."
Bawai got up back on his feet and looked at the warriors assembled there against him. Many were armed with short swords, clubs and spears.
"What you are attempting is a bold move my son. But neither you nor Domina is ready for such a future. Aggression is not the way to take our people. It will only end in sorrow and death for us. Have not learned anything from the teachings of our fore fathers?"
"Yes, I have." Mahad said with a sneer. "I learned of the weakness that you and many of our ancestors have had in the past. We Hominids could had been the masters of Aspana. All others could be bowing in our presence, But no, you all sought peace when you should have been fighting to make us stronger. I will not make that mistake. I will make us a people to be feared.I will make Domina strong and rich and it will all start today. Stand down father and pass the staff over to me. I will let you retire and go live in exile."
"The staff is right here my son." Bawai said as he held the staff out. "If you think you are strong enough, take it."
Stepping forward, Mahad reached out to take the staff from his father. As he touched if, a pulse of energy blasted out from the staff burning his hand and sending pain rippling through his body. Bawai smiled at him.
"The staff of Baba doesn't seem to think your way is right for Domina." Bawai said as he looked back at the would be future master of Domina. "You are the future of our people. But there are many lessons you still have to learn if you want to be chief. Turn from your violent path and take walk the path of peace. It is the only way the staff will accept you."
"I don't need the staff." Mahad screamed as he held his burned hand. "I accept these burns as a mark that points to my future! A future ruled by hate and fear!"
Stretching out his hand, Mahad sent a burst of energy straight at his father. Surprised at his sons move. Bawai tried to duck and step aside. He raised his staff and sent his own blast at Mahad. As the blue energy streaked at Mahad, he rolled to the side and grabbed a dagger that was lying there and threw as he rolled back to his feet. As the dagger hit Bawai, Mahad sent his second blast at his father. Blue energy pulsed out at Bawai striking him sending his body into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, Mahad walked over to him. He took a spear from one of his warriors.
"Your path ends here father. No more peace, there's only the dark silence of death for you."
"I am ready to die my son." Bawai said. "But don't think this is the end. Slavery will not lead you to where you want to go. It is not the true future for Aspana. Turn off this path and walk in the bright path of peace. It is the only way."
"For you maybe." Mahad took the spear and sent it straight through his father's heart. "Myumbo Father."
As Bawai died, the staff raised up from his hands and disappeared. Gone to find the next worthy Baba to wield it.

For years Mahad was on his path of hate collecting his slaves for his slave market. He sent raids all through Aspana capturing anyone that got in his way. He captured Hyenens, Rhinons, Elephants and Zebrens. He caught Tigrens and Sealens and a few of the rare Peacock species that lived in small settlements on the grassy plains north of the savanna. He had the slave market and the dungeons built from the old bathhouse that sat unused in the center of Domina. He taught the young warriors a new way to hunt. He taught them how to creep to towns at night and quietly take as many of the citizens they could without raising an alarm. Soon the the citizens in Mahad circle started to profit while the rest of Domina that was against this thing called slavery started to weaken and disappear, Housin the Gorilla that once held title to the bathhouse and the area around it. Nyma the weapons master and many more. All gone as Mahad purged the city of what he called useless and unwanted citizens that hung on to Domina causing unwarranted stress on our society. The people all knew it had to end. But no one was brave or powerful enough to go against Mahad Baba the untouchable.
Then the day came when Mahad tried to invade the land of Panthera. He had his cages all ready. He had all exists to the village blocked and he sent his warriors quietly in. From house to house they went rushing in to chain and gag all the citizens they get them out and into the cages. Everything had been perfect. There was very little sound and in less than a few hours they had everyone in a cage and it was time to celebrate. Unfortunately, something happened that night that Mahad did not expect. Someone had made it out of the first village and back through the jungle to Msia in Kimburi. Msia Duma changed his whole theory on conquest. Nothing was the same after they met. There was ho more easy conquests. The people of Aspana knew of Mahad and what he had been doing. Every village from there on was ready when Mahad and his slavers attacked. He started to take more loses than victories. On the seas Mer men of Kaerio and Adria rose from their underwater cities to attack his ships and send them spinning down to the ocean floor. His noble allies saw this as a failure of Mahad and started to rise against him. As rebellion started to rise, Mahad sat there on his stolen throne and watched. His dark armored guard's whispered treachery behind his back as the rich and noble members of Domina made plots against him to bring him down. Nothing looked very good for Mahad's future as the darkness of his soul started to close in around him.
On the fifth day on the year of the Jackal, Lady Imani gave birth to a strong new son to the house of Baba. His name was Anon Baba and he was the hope for peace amongst the Hominid people of Aspana. On that day, Mahad gave the order for his Hyenen lackeys to move on the Pantheran village of Cougars. From that day on, nothing went right for the Dominian chief. His attack on Pantheran was defeated and he was chased from the Pantheran grass lands back into the jungle where he was caught weak from battle and killed by a young Hyenen by the name of Mulu Amin.

Now that we are all caught up with Baba and Domina history, I think we should get on with the story.
As Palas circled the campsite, a pair of dark evil eyes kept watch on them. Keyami wasn't sure what it was he was looking at Was it some new breed of Dragon or another type of Griffin? It had the wings of the Griffins but the body was more bird like. Then again he had never seen a bird of this size. Nor did its mind feel like anything he had felt before. He could feel there was Avian in it, but that was all.
As Palas dropped down into the campsite, Keyami made his way in to get a much better look at this stranger to the jungle. As he approached, he stopped. The fur along his neck began to stand and a growl started deep down in his chest. Whoever the stranger was, he was no alone. Keyami could feel the presence of a Dragon there with him. Slowly Keyami crept forward with his claws ready to fight Asw he pushed his way through the bush, he saw three Gorillas there talking to what had to be some new kind of Avian's and a dragon. It took all the strength he could muster to keep his natural instincts from rushing forward and attacking the beast.
"I returned at your call." Palas said. "What is it that calls me back?"
"We have decided to stop running."Sky said to his friend. "Goren wants to go home and end the feud with Igoro."
"You know exactly what that will mean, right?" Palas asked as he stepped to Goren. "It will mean doing battle with your father. Are you ready for that battle?"
"Yes." Goren shook his head. "Igoro and I are destined to fight. This is the way it was foretold."
"Good." Palas put a hand to his friends shoulder. "I will be there at your side."
"As will I." Astan said. "Then we can start back to Tigaress. I must return to end this thing with Mulu Amin."
"Are you sure?" Goren asked. "Mulu Amin is very powerful. He may have forces that none of us have ever encounters at his side. Dark forces that once dwelled below."
"I don't care." Astan said. "I am Tigaren. I was taught by my father that we are the hand of Tyree. Tyree will protect us if we promise to always fight at his side. I have always held Tyree strong in my heart and I will always fight for him. Mulu Amin will not defeat me and Sakura if we can get back together. And I will find my way back to my love. Nothing he can do will keep us apart."
"Then let's get back to Domina." Goren said with smile. "We have a future to win!"