"Hello everyone. Sorry for the really long wait. Its been over 6 weeks. However, given the size of this chapter, its about 2500 words a week – which, at about 5,000 every two weeks, is business as usual for me.

I know. It goes on a bit doesn't it? It's because I have a lot that I wanted to show you – but I also wanted this flashback to be done with soon, so I can move on the main story And yes, it's a flashback. A pretty big one actually. Pay close attention to the histories you will see.

Note, this chapter does show some of the darker moments of the old Imperium, particularly what Shein-Su is capable of. So be warned, if you are a young reader, or of a sensitive disposition."

Lord of Beef Dip: Hello again! You expected Bhagari to die? Well, in all honestly, I came very close. The first draft did have a fatality – and believe it or not, I did explore my notes for the rest of the series to see what it would look like if Kiava were killed. It actually kinda works, and I spent some time discussing it with my beta readers. However, we decided that this was the best way to go forward for now. I never kill a character for the sake of it – only to prove a point. I didn't think it at the time, but its been interesting to explore the different cultures between the Lions, the Hyenas, the Asaitics, the Leopards and the Tigers. They feel very different. The savagery of the hyenas looks alien and terrifying to begin with – but, like many of the other cultures western civilisation thinks as 'uncivilised' there is a beauty to them, something unlike what we have, that is worth exploring.

Shenzi's past is a little more complicated. As she stated – she was captured by Sarabi at the end of Scar's reign, and was required to earn her freedom. The subject of which could be a side-story all in its own. In fact, it might well be.

The Black Hyenas, are Hyenas that have experiences melanism – and in this universe, developed into their own subspecies. Just as in reality, Panthers are merely Leopards or Jaguars (Depending on the continent) with pigmentation and genetic variation – but have been developed into a parallel species in my series – the Black Hyena Clan, are predominantly a species of darkened hyenas. However, the fact they are treated with suspicion by anyone other than their own kind, has resulted in a shallower genetic pool, meaning that the species is very genetically similar, resulting in a subspecies of black hyenas.
I can science, me.

Shadow: Hello Shadow. The Hyenas are a complicated bunch. While the Lion Pride are semi automatous, with the Kingdoms borders rigidly defined, the Hyenas have much more fluidity in their alliances, borders, lands and rulers. It's very "Game of Thrones" with backstabberery and politics being common. This, combined with their natural violence, makes them dangerous. It also means gossip travels quickly.

Oh come now. I am not so heartless as to kill a mother, moments before seeing her child again, am I? Oh. Okay. Maybe I am. You'll just have to wait and see… I have plenty in store.

Author: Hello again! Some good questions! The Shadowlands are pretty big. They extend for miles and miles to the north, until it gradually becomes more and more mountainous and treacherous. The Elephant Graveyard is a valley around an area of particular seismic instability, though, and that is where Carrocscirr, roughly equivalent to the lands capital, lies.

There are as many Hyena clans as there are Prides. However, the closest to the Pridelands, are Shenzi's Clan (Called Spotted by everyone else, but not to themselves) the Striped Clan, the Brown Clan, and the Black Clan. Shenzi's Clan controls all of the territory north of the Pridelands, and the others control territory north of that. So Shenzi's territory is sandwiched, between the Outlands to the East, the Shadowlands to the Norther (Under rival control) the Swamplands, and eventually mountain lands to the west, and the Pridelands, below to the south. Shenzi's land is about a third of the size of the Pridelands.
An interesting question though: Can the Pridelands support hyenas and lions in the same place? They didn't under Scar.

SandyDragon: You'll see a lot more of the Hyena clans, don't you worry. Though Kiava is still recovering from his poison, so he is vulnerable. He needs to be careful! Glad you enjoyed Kroon as well. His relationship with Sara and Inti is very different. Unlike them, he has no familial connection to the Pride.

Too bad you weren't so keen on Damu and Lukaan. Others seemed to like it, though I'll grant you, it was very dialogue centric. I'll try and weave something more sensory next time as well. Thanks for the insight. It's very useful, and will help me improve the series.

Ultimateblack: Ah. Eragon. There is an interesting series. The first was good enough to get me interested, and I really enjoyed the second book, but the third and fourth? Not so much.

Thank you for the review, and I am really glad you are enjoying it!

LoveNeverDies: Glad you enjoyed it! I hope everything's not too complicated! Between the Shai'tan, the Hyenas, the Rebels and the Shaman, I appreciate that there is a lot going on! I hope that my infrequent updates aren't making the story difficult to follow!

Chapter 20: A Tale of Five Shaman II

Emperor Shan-Al-Kir's rise to power began slowly. And Danyal was there to witness it.

It began with an outbreak of violence on the fringes of the Great Kingdom's lands.

It began with a smattering of attacks.

It began with fighting and the sounds of the fighting could be heard for great distances in many directions. With oh too familiar sounds of combat. The grim harmony of snarls and bloody howls of pain, shrieks of anger and other war cries rattled the air. It would be calm and peaceful, and then, suddenly, cries would ring out and the sounds of combat and blood would hit the air.

In a small patch of savannah, two great cats circled each other, their eyes narrow like slits, and fixed on each other. They collided with each other suddenly, and then more sounds erupted into the air. The greater of the two creatures, a great flame orange beast was mighty in size and strength, but its opponent had taken fewer wounds and seemed to be the most skilled of the pair.

It was unmistakably a lion. And it was unmistakably a tiger he fought. Neither of the pair were recognizable. It was a different Pride to the one that had fought with Marsade, and a different Tiger Lord too. The Shai'tan was lithe and agile and his eyes were an electric, piercing blue, instead of the hellish crimson visage born by both Emperors, past and future. Yet for all their differences, there was a depressing familiarity to them in their poise, and their stance. Here, long in the past though it might have been, a Lion stared down a Shai'tan. A Servant of the Emperor.

After a moment, the tiger struck out at the lion's head, who weaved under the blow and returned with a similar strike. The second blow caught the tiger in the jaw, and he let out a hiss of pain as he recoiled.

"Impressive. Agh… You lions aren't half as dumb as you look… Nor half as weak. But it doesn't matter. You're reign is coming to an end. You can't stop the rise of the Shai'tan Imperium. The Emperor will end you." The Tiger spoke, his voice grating. The lion didn't reply, but spat out a mouthful of blood. The tiger was wounded, but seemed unaffected by his injuries. In contrast, the lion was breathing heavily. His opponent clearly had much strength still within him. The tiger roared and charged forward with untamed aggression. The lion's claws arched across his chest, and lines of brilliant crimson blood burst into being. It didn't slow the tiger though. The tiger endured the pain, and withstood the blow. And then he was within the lion's guard. His head darted forwards and seized the lion neck in his jaws. The lion's eyes widened with panic as he tried to pull away crying out as the tiger struggled to get a grip. All it would take was a moment. An instant. If he got a hold of his neck, if he could find a moment's pause, then he could snap his foe's neck like a twig beneath the paw of a wildebeest. Growling through gritted teeth, the two struggled for a moment in the death lock. Then, the lion gave a great cry and pulled away. The tiger's jaws raked across his neck as he did, drawing blood as he did so. The wounds were deep, but not lethal. With a triumphant roar, the lion slammed into his foe with full force, bucking as he did so. The tiger stumbled and fell back, and the lion pushed.
The tiger tumbled to the ground.

"ARGH!" The tiger gave a cry of fear and rolled away, moving with just half a moment to spare before the lions claws slammed back into the ground, his claws puncturing earth.

Then, around him, the grasslands flew apart as more and more shapes entered the glade with growls and roars. More lions, come to aid the first.

That was too much for the tiger. Aware of his chances of victory, or even survival plummeting before his eyes, the tiger gave a disgusted growl, and turned tail, his claws vanishing back into his paws, and then he was running as fast as any cheetah, trying to get away.

"Coward!" The lion shouted, but he was didn't pursue the Shai'tan. Instead, he knelt to the ground and gave a sigh, his adrenaline leaving him now that the fight was over, and he could no longer stand on his feet without it coursing through his veins, and the thrill burning in his heart. It always took him aback. How one moment, one would have the fury and the will to fight with every ounce of their strength. And then that strength could vanish like mist once the danger was passed. It left him drained, and his almost lost his footing. One of the lionesses rushed to his side, and checked his injuries, but the lion shrugged her off.

"Not now… It's important. That wasn't just a new Shai'tan. I knew him. That was Lord Visha." He told them when they had returned to him. The new lions looked at one another in shock at that. The name was known to them. There were four more in total. Three lionesses, and a second male, and it was he who growled at the mention of the name.

"That can't be!" She said. "I saw him only last season! I met his cubs… He wouldn't have…" He trailed off, staring after the tiger in wonder. He shook his head in disbelief.

"He already tried to kill Shaana. And you just watched him fight me. He didn't seem to recognize me though." His comrade added. The older lion sighed at that.

"He has chosen to join Shein in this madness. That's another one." He said. He slammed a paw into the ground. "What makes them think they can trust him? Why do they turn on us at the words of a mad tiger?" He growled in frustration. The injured lion crawled back to his feet, wincing as he put weight on an injured limb.

"Who knows? Who cares? Enough of the Tiger Lords are willing and able to turn on us, and we don't know who until it's too late. That's all that matters. I've heard terrible stories already. Prides being attacked… even wiped out entirely. It's not just us lions either. I came after Visha because he murdered a family of Cheetahs and I know for a fact he attacked one of my Pride's vassal Leopard Tribes as well, even before Shaana, or myself."

"Leopards and cheetahs?! What for! What had they done to him? What quarrel does he have with either of them, I thought it was us that Shein-Su hated."

"None, as far as I know. The attacks are entirely unprovoked." He said grimly.

"Blast it… We have to inform the High King of Visha's betrayal…" The lioness said, looking angry and hurt.

"That's the third, in just a few days." One of the lionesses said, helping the injured male up.

"How many is that now?"

"I've lost count. Where is High-King Kwanza? What he going to do about this" She asked him directly.

"He's meeting with Lord Ba'alin at Crown Rock,"

"Who's that?"

"He's the Voice of the Tiger Lords… Those of them who haven't betrayed us that is. But with Visha changing sides, and Spirits know how many others doing likewise, who knows how many that actually is?"

"He's actually going to talk with a Tiger Lord?! At a time like this? Is the King mad?" She asked in shock

"No. But he is desperate. Tiger Lords are defecting to Shan-Al-Kir in droves and they're attacking prides, leaps, tribes, rouges, you name it entirely without pattern. Kwanza hopes that dealing with Ba'alin might restrain some of the Shai'tan. He needs to know about Visha, and the others." The lion said. They were right. They needed to report this information. Their own lands were no longer safe. They needed the safety and security that Crown Rock offered them. The group of lions departed the glade quickly, leaving it deserted.

Deserted save one.

Danyal had watched the fight anxiously. It hadn't been the first he'd seen, though it had been the first he'd seen that marked such a resounding victory for those fighting the Shai'tan.

Danyal had found himself unable to return to his proper time and place, he had decided to make use of his time here however he could. It weighed heavily on his conscience. Based on the appearance of Marsade and Rafiki, he had deduced that what he was witnessing was in some way a reflection of past events. Something in his bones told him that this was no fabrication, no fiction that Marsade tormented him with. He knew he was watching the events Rafiki had described. The last time the Shaman had united.

And the world burned in light. Rafiki had said.

For some reason or other, Marsade wanted to show him something. But with no idea who or what he was supposed to see, he was left aimless.

"What am I supposed to do? Wander this way and that, seeing what I see?!" Danyal had shouted at the heavens. But received no reply. The Spirits and the Kings were as dead to his pleas here as they were to him in the waking world, and were just as ambivalent to his suffering.

That was something at least.

He had feared that his defiance of Marsade would have earned him yet another round of unspeakable torture at the Fire Priest's hands. He shuddered at the thought and alone though he was, he still felt a spike of shame that he did so. The earthly torment had been bad enough. It had been excruciating, unbearable. But then, not content with harming his body, Marsade had… done… something… to his mind. Splintered it wide open and hooked his claws inside it, looking for information. Knowledge. It had been ripped from his memories. His mind invaded and almost torn apart in the process. And Marsade had been in full control the whole time. Every dark moment, every worst day, every guilt, terror, loss and pain had ever experienced had been dragged up out of the darkest places of his mind and he'd been made to experience them once more.

He'd rather die than go through that again. It turned his stomach to even see the shade of Marsade before him in the ancient past.

But whatever his reasons were, that was all Danyal could do now. Wandering the lands, attempting to interact with the visions he came across. He'd lost track of how long he'd been there. At least hours. Days likely. Maybe longer. He'd seen half a dozen different fights, throughout that same period.

They weren't all the same. Some involved the Lions, kings and rouges, some involved cheetahs, or leopards. There were differences. But there were also patterns in their attacks. Patterns that he recognised.

He had watched, as more and more tigers were swayed by the words of Emperor Shan-Al-Kir. He'd seen visions of the times when Shien-Su came to them, and spread his words. Whether they came from his own mouth, or from the forked tongue of one of his followers, Danyal could recognise the bile of the Shai'tan when he heard it. The preaching of strength and power was unmistakeable. The speakers were not always welcome, in fact they were often met with hostility. Though few would inflict harm upon a creature for espousing mere words. And so, it was words that Emperor Shan-Al-Kir used. Words like poison.

He'd watched as some of them were swayed by his logic and it was like watching a rot or decay as his words that seeped into creature's hearts and festered there.
Shein talked of nature. Of life. He even spoke of the Great Circle. He talked of balance, and of order. He talked of passion, and emotion, and of feeling. He talked of the thrill of the hunt, and he talked of obeying ones heart, and being true to yourself.

And he talked of those who would demand you did otherwise. Of those who would shackle you with demands of undeserved mercy. Those who would bind you with laws designed to deny you your hearts true desires. He offered a simplicity. An uncomplicated philosophy. Strength, was the key.

By what right, could the king, any king, demand of you?

It was a kind of freedom, Danyal supposed. A kind of release.

But it was evil to his eyes.

He offered them only the freedom to oppress. That was the paradox. He gave them leave to kill. The freedom to murder, and steal and destroy. The freedom to hurt and twist and lie. The freedom from conscience that was what Shein-Su offered them. A kind of madness.

That was the ideology of the Shai'tan.

And it was as corrupt and twisted in his own time, as it was here, in the Old Imperium. The Shai'tan Imperium under Ben-Kai-Ra had learnt the lessons of Shan-Al-Kir well.

He had heard the same words from Mortread and Sekmet. Their cruelty and their passion was an echo of the words Shein used now, in this place.

He needed to find a way to leave. To end this dream, or vision or whatever it was filtering through his skull. The relief from his torture was welcome, and a return to the waking world would mean a return to the agony of Marsade's whims, but even so, he had to return.
He couldn't leave Sundar there alone. Not with Marsade. Not with the insane Shai'tan, Mortread. She was in danger back there, and that was enough. He had to get out. But whatever it was that he was meant to see, he would not leave until he saw it.
So he followed the visions. And what he saw filled him with disgust.

More attacks.

More fights.

More betrayals.

More deaths.

It continued for what must have been days before Danyal saw what he knew at once to be his destination.

It was a Lion den, a great rock of enormous magnitude. A single, solitary peak of stone, the shape of a teardrop, piercing the heavens. Windswept smooth, uncracked and seemingly unblemished. It was surrounded by other rocks of lesser magnitude, creating a flower like structure. It was tall and proud and he knew what it was before either of the lions he had been following spoke.

"Crown Rock." The younger lion said, looking up in awe with some of the lionesses. The older male smirked.

"Impressive… isn't it?"

"That is the heart of the Great Kingdom? That is Kwanza's Throne?" He said, looking awed. And Danyal had to agree, it was a magnificent sight. As tall as Pride Rock, and glowing in splendour in the afternoon sun.

"Aye. That is the seat of his power. In the heart of the Crownlands – greatest and mightiest of the Lion Prides. Even the other Lion Kings kneel before him. Come." And they went, with Danyal following at a short pace behind. An ever present onlooker and observer. It was a surreal experience.

The lions made their way towards the centre of the great stone. Eventually, they were met by other lions who greeted them and lead the way.

"Who approaches?" Said a familiar voice. Danyal almost jumped. Watching them, was a familiar lioness. Neema, Jino's Queen from before, from his first encounter with the lions. The lioness struck an imposing figure, and the two male lions and their lioness's bowed momentarily to their fellow monarch.

"Just us. And our cubs" The young said, clearly already familiar with the queen. Neema nodded seemingly recognising them on sight. She smiled at the small form of a one of the Pride's cubs who was trying to hide behind its mother.

"It's good to see you…" She said, though her smile turned to a frown upon seeing the injured male.

"Marsade! We have injured over here!" She called over her shoulder. In a few moments, the Shaman appeared, his staff held tightly in his hands, and looking tired. The Orangutan paid no heed to his own exhaustion.

"I am all right…" The male lion said, though he almost stumbled when he took a step forward. Marsade immediately began examining their wounds, taking several herbs from inside a shell on his staff, which he crushed with the flat of the spike on his staff, and began to apply the juices, muttering a shamanic chant as he did so.

Danyal couldn't help wondering if the herbs were merely a theatrics to disguise his shamanic gifts, working to silently heal the wound and ease away pain.

"What happened to you?" Marsade asked him, sounding concerned. The male winced at his prodding.

"This? Just a souvenir from Lord Visha. He's turned on us as well."

"What?!" Marsade balked.

"You were right… More and more of the Tiger Lords are declaring themselves Shai'tan and joining up with Shan-Al-Kir and his Imperium. Visha and I fought after he murdered half a dozen creatures in my lands. Sadly he escaped. Even now he's joining his new Emperor." Marsade pulled away, his eyes dark.

"I wish I killed him when I had the chance." He said darkly, thinking on the Emperor as he frowned. "So has Visha turned on us as well. I can't believe it. How do we know who is whose side anymore?"

"If its trying to kill you, it probably not on your side." Neema offered. At Marsade's scowl Neema apologised. "It's been difficult since what happened at the Far River." She admitted. One of the males cocked his head he hadn't heard of this.

"What happened?" he asked cautiously. Neema spat.

"A group of genuine Tiger Lords tried to remove Shein from power. Shein managed to persuade one of them to back down with that forked tongue of his, and then murdered all three of them. Then he spent two weeks tracking down their mates and cubs, and had them torn apart, their bodies scatted and left for carrion. He's ruthless." Her eyes narrowed.

"It's hard enough to persuade a Tiger lord to risk themselves in a fight they don't see as theirs. It's even harder if they risk bringing ruin upon their family if they even try." She said, though her eyes didn't look too sympathetic. Perhaps she thought the tigers ought to have tried harder? In any case, their discussion was interrupted by a roar to the right of them, and Marsade flew to his feet.

"It's the king!" He said quickly. They moved swiftly to the other side of Crown Rock.

Approaching from a distance, was what Danyal could only describe as the largest lion he had ever seen. Kwansa the Great was a might golden lion, with a huge bronze mane that wreathed his head. Standing next to him were a pair of lionesses, and with them, stood Rafiki.
The mandrill leaned on his staff awkwardly, and as they approached, he smiled at Marsade.

"So you've come back to us at last! I was beginning to grow concerned." He said. Marsade nodded, and Danyal noted that he looked different. There were a few lines of scars on his form, and his eyes were darker. It was a subtler thing, but somehow Danyal knew that this was a slightly older Marsade then the one who he'd seen with the lions before. Some time had clearly passed. A few months perhaps?

"I couldn't leave Jino or Neema or Kono now could I? Not after Kucha's death. But I had to track down a couple of the other Tiger Lords to find out what was going on." Marsade said. He didn't looked pleased.

"You were looking for other Tiger Lords? What for?" Rafiki asked.

"I had hoped they'd be able to tell me what had happened with Shien. And what was happening with his Imperium. His rebellion against the Great Kings is spreading like wildfire. I wanted to get a grip on the scale of the madness."

"And?"

"I never got an answer. The Tiger Lords don't keep in one place as much as the Lion Kings. I only knew the definitive location of two of them, and by the time I found them, they weren't very talkative. One had already had his throat clawed out by one of Shein's lieutenants. The other attacked me when he saw me and declared himself free of the Lion kings and their 'puppet Shaman'."

"What? Are you okay? What happened?"

"He died. In the struggle" Marsade, his eyes looking cold. Rafiki's eyes widened, and he nodded slowly. It wouldn't have been much of a struggle.

"Ah… I see." He said. Now Marsade was looking away to him, and towards the High King. It was easy to tell who was who. Kwanza, the High King. The creature was large – larger than Mufasa or even Ahadi maybe. His fur was like polished copper, and his mane was a magnificent golden colour. His eyes were a bright yellow, and they were wise and compassionate eyes. Not a young Lion by any means, but neither did he look old. He looked wise and experienced, but strong and in his prime. Marsade approached Kwanza and bowed his head.
"Greetings your majesty. It is good to finally meet you in person. Rafiki speaks very highly of you." He told him. The High King nodded giving a warm smile.

"Any friend of Rafiki is a friend to me, though I am given to understand that you are good friends with King Jino?" he said.

"I have stayed among their Pride for a time, yes." Marsade admitted. Kwanza nodded.

"Then you are doubly welcome here, Shaman. King Jino is one of the greatest kings among us, and I value his friendship. He is good lion." He said.

"So was Kucha." Marsade said sadly.

"Indeed. I didn't know him nearly as well as his brother, and I regret that. Now I never will." Kwanza said.

"Its busy here now…" Marsade commented. Kwanza nodded.

"There are many Lion Kings here, Shaman. The attacks have become frequent.. There isn't one here who hasn't heard of the Emperor by now. Shein's enflamed aggression in the minds of dozens of followesr nad let them loose along our borders. Many of the Kingdoms fled the attacks, to present and united counter to the Shai'tan. They came here. To my Land. As High-King, they are all welcome here. Crown Rock is a sanctuary. A safe haven, for the Lion Kings to retreat to in times of conflict. That's why you can see so many Males, so many lionesses and so many cubs gathered in one place." He said. Marsade looked around, and couldn't help but smile as he counted over a dozen cubs in one corner.

"It's magnificent." Marsade said.

And it was. Danyal watched in awe. He had speculated that, like Pride Rock, Crown Rock contained a den of some kind within it, but the sheer size and scale of it took him aback. At the king's summons, many lions made their way to him. And not all were in Kwanza's Pride. Marsade looked around in shock as many of them arrived. There were a dozen different prides gathered, and Danyal shared in his surprise. After the assembled kings had gathered Danyal recognised a pawful of them. He saw Neema and King Jino – and also others he had witnessed in his wanderings of the ancient land. Those who had survived Tiger attacks and Ben-Kai-Ra's insurrection.

" That's why I am determined to protect it." Kwanza said. "Duna," He turned to a small bluebird who hovered nearby. Clearly the Kings Majordomo. "Please, call the rulers together. There is an announcement I wish to make." He told the bird. It whistled and swooped away.

After a while, the rulers had gathered, and it was an impressive sight.

"My friends… Fellow Kings and Queens of the Land." Kwanza said slowly. "By now you will no doubt know of what has happened. We are under attack. Not from without, not from some rouge Pride, or gathering… But from within. Tiger Lords within our own kingdom have rebelled against their rightful rulers, renouncing our laws and our authority. They have decided that they are a law unto themselves. They think this gives them the authority to kill at will. To take what they want. They think we are too weak to do anything to stop them. They are mistaken." He gave a growl. "Ba'alin. Come out here." He called. A great Tiger emerged from a den nearby, and some of the lions gave a cry of alarm at the sight of him. Jino gasped, and a lioness who could only be Askari, Kwanza's Queen, who was clearly heavily pregnant. At the sight of the tiger she looked at her mate in alarm. Ba'alin took a step forward, looking uncomfortable. Kwanza smiled encouragingly.

"You all know Ba'alin. He has represented his people here at Crown Rock for as long as any of us, in those rare occasions that we need to communicate or deal with the Tiger Lords as a whole. Those who known him will know him to be good natured and loyal, and those who don't will trust my own word on the matter. I conferred with him about our current situation… He is the voice of the Tigers. I have already spoken with him, and I think it's important to listen to what he has to say." Kwanza said. Ba'alin looked around and swallowed, but before he could speak a voice rang out.

"What can he tell us that we don't already know? Your majesty, I really don't think-" A lioness interrupted.

"Emperor Shan-Al-Kir." Ba'alin said softly. There was silence. "You heard me." Ba'alin said. "Shan-Al-Kir. Don't you want to know who he is? What he is?" He asked them. There was quiet. Ba'alin nodded. "You don't. That is why I am here. You know who I am. My name is Ba'alin. We Tiger Lords, we don't have kings or queens or rulers. We keep to ourselves. But sometimes we are forced to act as a group. And in those situations we select from among us, a voice. One Tiger lord to represent the other families who live on the borders of your territory, as the King has stated." He explained.
Not far away, Danyal listened intently. He had never heard of such a thing from Sundar. This was an old part of the world. His curiosity was aroused now though. Just who was Shan-Al-Kir?

"The Shai'tan known as Shien-Su is a criminal. The name Shan-Al-Kir is a title he has taken, a name he chose. To all of us, he was known only as Shien. The title he clings to of Lord is as false as the title Emperor – he forfeited that title upon killing his own father. I think it's important to get a few things sorted. Shien is a renegade. Worse than any rouge you've even heard of. A mad creature. His cruelty and his malice are without match. He's a true Shai'tan." He looked around. "For those who don't know, that means accursed one. He's an outcast. He was exiled months ago from his family and his home." He swallowed.

"But… He didn't take the news too well. He was exiled for a dozen crimes. We know for a fact that he murdered his own father, a Lord called Naaz, and at least two brothers, in a deadly fight. What very few know is that the fight that was sparked when Shein took an unwilling tigress as his mate. A tigress who was already mated to Shien's own brother." He said, unable to hide the contempt in his voice.

One of the lionesses gave a gasp in horror. Ba'alin nodded. "Needless to say she was less than enthusiastic and refused his… advances… but he didn't care. He didn't stop. He took what he wanted, as he always has." Ba'alin gave a distasteful grimace. "He left her with terrible injuries as a result. When her mate heard about it, he attacked Shein in a rage. There was no fight to speak of. It was too quick for it to be called. Shien-Su murdered his brother practically on the spot and without a moment's hesitation. Then he killed their father, Naaz, who was devastated at his other son's death, and at the fact that his beloved son had done what he had to a tigress. I know this from the lips of the tigress he attacked, though she died of her injuries not long after."

"He just left her there!"

"Indeed. She was discarded without a moment's thought." He looked around. "That is the thing those Shai'tan are deliberately choosing to follow, to take as their leader. So don't think for a moment that this sit well among the rest of the Tiger Lords. It appals and repulses us as much as it does you. But there is little we can do about it." He said.

"Little you can do about it?! Shan-Al-Kir, or whatever he called himself was under your authority, your rule! If you knew he was capable of this, why wasn't he dealt with at the time?" Marsade snapped angrily. "How many others have been killed since then because of your incompetence?" He said. Shein's eyes narrowed into anger, and Danyal was taken aback to see a sudden burning. A primal anger. A soaring rage. Then the tiger controlled himself, and the anger seemed to melt away. He breathed in.

"Our paws were tied in the matter! There were those who called for his execution, and believe me, we would have been happy to do so. But… We are not allowed to execute our own criminals. The High-King's decree is that only he can pass a death sentence in his lands and by the time a messenger arrived at Crown Rock, Shein had killed his captor and escaped. He also slaughtered the party who went after him, and murdered their families for a grand finale! If you want to blame anyone, then blame Kwanza!" he said.

Rafiki raised a hand.

"The only person to blame for this crisis is Shan-Al-Kir himself. It's no one else's fault." He said firmly. Begrudgingly, Marsade nodded. Ba'alin continued slowly.

"We had no way of following him, so he was declared exiled – to be killed if he ever returned to our lands. Which was the best we could do given he'd already escaped and no different to passing the sentence of death in his absence." Ba'alin told them.

"So that's it then. We know who Shein is now. He's nothing more than a rabid killer. He will be hunted down and destroyed for his crimes; that I swear to you all." Kwanza said.

"He's a murderer and worse, but it goes beyond that. His… experiences… have changed him. He was able to take what he wanted, in all its forms. Meat. Power. Mates. Prestige. Land. Whatever he wanted. And no one was able to stop him. He realised that there was nothing stopping him. Nothing caging him. It was all an illusion. A construct. Nothing tangible. That knowledge had shifted his perspective. He rules by fear. And he fears nothing. So he doesn't see any reason to be ruled. He can't be intimidated, he can't be threatened. He will only submit to that which is stronger than him. He won't submit to any rule or law that can't best him. And he is spreading this ideology, this perspective around him like a plague. Those who follow him are the ones who embrace this new outlook. Strength is the only true measure of worth. And might, the only restriction." Ba'alin said.

"An enlightening history lesson, Ba'alin." A voice said, and Danyal turned with a number of other eyes and saw Jino standing up. "But it doesn't help us."

"Agreed." Askari said. "No disrespect to you, but Shein is a threat to us all, as are other Tiger Lords. We don't know who's on whose side anymore. Shien must be dealt with… before he infects every Tiger Lord with these delusions." She said. Ba'alin nodded.

"That's simple enough to fix. I know where he is."
There was a long pause.

"What."
"I know where he is. He wishes to speak with High King Kwanza. Ruler to ruler. To discuss… Peace." He said. Danyal stared in disbelief. Were his ears deceiving him?

"Peace!? He murdered Kucha, and Erevue, and Nyah, and Spirits know how many others! He's inspired a dozen other Tigers to do the same! Between them, they've brought blood and death to the Great Kingdoms and they think we'll be cowed? They think we'll just let them get away with it!"

"If you want peace, then you have to make concessions. If not, you have the combined might of a dozen Lion Kingdoms gathered here today. You would have to concede little to force him to back down in such circumstances."

"We'll concede nothing!" Marsade hissed.

"That isn't your choice, nor under your authority." Kwanza said firmly. Marsade turned in anger and Rafiki took his friend's arm.

"Marsade. Come with me." Rafiki said, and moved away from the group. Shaking his friend free Marsade's eyes flashed. With a jet of flame, he propelled himself through the air some distance away, and landed into a crouch. Rafiki scowled at the prominent display of power which drew stares and cries of alarm and shock.

Out of ear shot but within sight of the gathering, Marsade finally spoke.

"I can't believe-"

"Marsade. Kwanza has a duty to his Pride. If he can avert a war, if he can punish Shien without plunging the land into chaos and civil war, then he has to take that path. Don't be so blind as to not see the consequences of meeting this Emperor blow for blow. He wants a war. Going headlong into this is playing into his paws. Think." Rafiki urged him.

"There are a lot of lions here-"

"Which means a lot of lions will be killed." A voice said.

Marsade and Rafiki turned, and Marsade's eyes widened.

"You!"

"Yes. Me." Said Yessen. The baboon looked at Marsade, and extended a hand in greeting. Danyal gagged in shock. He knew the Shaman, who had been teaching and training Sundar. He recalled him falling out of the sky with Rafiki with shard of stone in his chest, and he knew of the baboon's power. And yet, while Rafiki had implied that he and Marsade had been once friends, it was even harder to imagine him looking at Marsade with the friendship now in his eyes. Marsade turned to Rafiki.

"What did you bring him here for?!" He asked in annoyance. Yessen frowned.

"Nice to see you too. It's only been a century." He grumbled.

"We came to talk some sense into you." Another voice added. Danyal whirled around and found himself face to face with two more shaman, one of whom he recognized as Margane. The other could only be Halien, the final shaman. The two females, a gibbon and chimpanzee, joined the baboon, orangutan, and mandrill.

"Marsade. We're concerned about you." Halien said. The young ape looked at her old friend with wide eyes. Marsade smiled.

"Concerned about me? Hah! What do we have to worry about! You're all here! All of you! With you here, we can deal with Shan-Al-Kir. Forget a gathering of Lion Kings – this is a gathering of Shaman. We can wipe his filth off the face of the earth!" Margane said excitedly.

"No, Marsade. That's not what we meant. We can't –"

"Of course we can! Margane, your power over the rivers and rains of the world is unmatched by either of us! Halien, you can command the whole might of the storm! Wind and lighting and are natural to you as breathing. Yessen, the very earth trembles when you order it! It would take nothing to make Shan-Ali-Kir tremble as well." Marsade said. Yessen glanced at Rafiki, looking concerned.

"Marsade. We're not assassins. Our role on this earth is not to police its people. It's to protect it's the world. We are its guardians, not its gods." Yessen said. Marsade's smile faltered.

"What?" He asked in mild confusion. Clearly he didn't see the distinction.

"We could destroy Shan-Al-Kir. But the damage we would do in the process is… substantial. We need to show restraint."

"Restraint? That thing is a monster! Mercy has its place, Yessen, but there is a thin line between compassion and weakness. Shein murdered Kucha in cold blood. He represents a huge threat to this land. If he were alone, I'd be more inclined to agree with you, but he is turning people, Yessen. What if he kills more of our friends? You can't seriously believe he should be left alive!"

"No. I think Shein deserves to die for that he's done. He deserves what is coming for him. But it is not our place to administer justice. Not our role. The Shaman of this world have to stay detached. There are rules. Conditions to the power we wield. It's intended for another purpose than its mortal affairs." Yessen said. Marsade stared at him.

"So you agree with Margane. You don't think this is our fight." He said. Yessen winced.

"Please Marsade. Try to understand. It's not that we don't want to help. But there could be consequences of our interference. The Power of the Creation is a part of the circle of life itself. A remnant of the Great Spirit's divine might." He held out his staff, and it levitated few inches from him. An emerald green glow encompassed it when it left his hand, and Danyal emitted a loud gasp when he saw it, for each of the other rods emitted its own ethereal light. Blue, Green, Gold, White and Red, dancing like crystals of ice, sparks of flame or shimmers of intense radiance. It was mesmerizing. Yessen voice spoke again, distorted by his own magic.

"The powers of the earth maintain the balance of the world, Marsade. The tremors of the earth. Its volcanos. Its fissures and its groundquakes. Its mighty mountains and its rolling hills. Its mudslides and avalanches. The stone and the Earth," His voice returned to normal. "Those are my spheres of influence, Marsade and it those I have authority over. Not among Tiger Lords and Lion Kings.

"Yessen. I know you think that I've been frivolous with my powers. I know you think I use them for trivial thing. Don't think that I don't understand the responsibility it takes to wield them. Please don't think I don't. But I have a responsibility, a duty to my friends as well!" Marsade said.

"No. You don't. Or you shouldn't have." Halien said sadly. Marsade ground his teeth. How could he make her understand?

Halien turned to Yessen.

"When was the last time we met? More than two of us I mean?" She asked him.

"That would have been about two hundred years ago. At the eruption of Ecru-Crag Mountain." He said. As Yessen said it, Marsade remembered. That Fire Mountain had been building for years, decades even. They ought to have been prepared for it. But they thought had enough time for years before it burst its crater. They were seriously mistaken. They had miscalculated. Instead of erupting out of its top, it had gathered its store of magma into the side of its chamber and its might had been unleashed prematurely. The fiery eruption had shaken the earth and shook the very sky for days. They had come to the mountain, to find hell descending upon the earth. Rock, fire and ash rained around them. Toxic gasses filled the air, burning, searing, heat blasting vegetation and animal life apart. Magma raging down the side of the mountain, an explosion in avalanche form crashing down with each pulse of its crater, spilling out boiling rock.

It had been a terrible sight.
There, He, Yessen and Halien had averted near catastrophe. The volcano's initial blast proved to be a catalyst. A hundred other craters of magma below the earth began to rupture, roused into fury by the shaking of the earth. Blast upon blast, a chain reaction igniting the very ground itself, that Marsade feared would rip the very skin of the earth apart.

There were very few memories of Marsade that frightened him. It was one of less have half a dozen events Marsade recalled with genuine fear. Where they felt their duty to protect the world was in danger of failing.

The Shaman had stood there though.

The raging inferno of the world was eased. Its anger tamed, its hatred cooled. The magma blastes subsided, the heat leached form pools of lava like poison from a wound. The deadly miasma of the craters purified and restored by Halien's powerful sky sorcery, and the tremors of the ground eased.

The danger they had all felt had been averted. The might of a planet tamed by the sorcery of three shaman.

"Ecru Crag." Marsade repeated.

"Do you believe that Shien presents even a thread of the danger we witnessed at Ecru-Crag?"

"No… This is different."

"What about the Dark Wave?" Margane asked. "When the see surged and threatened to drown the world in its deluge? We were more desperate then. So desperate that with only five of us, we contemplated sacrificing an entire continent, just to preserve the remaining seven?" Margane added.

"Shien is just as dangerous as any disaster we've faced!" Marsade said. "He's corrupting people. Turning them. Making them like him. He's not just a Rouge Warlord with a bloodlust, a power trip and a god complex! He's an infection. One that needs to be purged out." Marsade said angrily.

"What of you, Rafiki? You've not said a word." He asked. The mandrill was very quiet. "Marsade, Kwanza is a very dear friend. But the last time all five of us were gathered, we acted to avert a meteor storm so large, that a single piece of it would have wiped out entire species."

"Yes! When we worked together, our powers were more powerful then ever!"

"Our powers were at their height when the world was in danger, Marsade. Your finest act as Jino's friend was to extinguish that firestorm, alone. It ought to have taken two of us at least."

"Halien was too far away. I had to act when you did."

"And it was your finest act. And then, the following generation, you saved them yet again from a plague." He added. Marsade nodded. That was true. "We are healers, Marsade. Healers and defenders of this world. Not its rulers. We protect the world from the natural and the supernatural, but that is the extent of our jurisdiction. Don't you think that if we were meant to act in situations such as this, it would be easier? Your magic is wild and untamed at the best of times, you have very limited control over it except in times of disaster."

"I can control it just fine!" Marsade snapped angrily.

"I don't doubt it. I just don't know if you should or not." Yessen pointed out. "This situation with Shan-Al-Kir, is an earthly matter. It must have an earthly solution. We all have a role to play in this world, Marsade. That is the role the Kings must play. To lead. To bring order and law to a chaotic and cruel world. Ours is just to make sure the world is there to bring order to." Rafiki said. Marsade stared at them, seething in quiet fury at the injustice of it.
"I don't believe you! You don't want to get involved. You think that we should just leave them to it. To let what will be, be and not to interfere. You want me to abandon Jino and Neema, and leave them to avenge Kucha by themselves."

"Who said anything about avenging him? I thought you wanted to protect the survivors? Listen to yourself, Marsade." Yessen said. "We need to think. To consider. To contemplate –"

"No, you listen to me Yessen. This is the right thing to do, I am sure of it! Rafiki, please, Kwanza is your friend! Askari is your friend! Hang what we are supposed to do! Let's do what feels right!" He said.

"I… Don't know, Marsade. Yessen has a point. I don't think we should get involved…"

"If Kwanza were here, right now in front of you, would you save his life? If he were mortally wounded, and you alone could heal with you?"

"Of course I would, I am a healer, I wouldn't turn away-"

"You see? This is no different! This is us, healing the world. Healing the pride!"

"Of course it's different! It isn't up to us to decide this world's destiny!"

"Destiny is just accepting inevitability! Well I don't accept it! I don't accept that we should stand aside!"

"Marsade, your anger is right, your feelings are right. But your thoughts aren't. You are only feeling, Marsade, you aren't thinking as well." Halien said. She swallowed.

"Think about Marsade. If we interfere now, what about next time? We don't age, Marsade. We endure. Our powers bring with them the blessings of Immortality. We are Eternal! If we interfere now in the affairs of the mortals, won't be become obliged to do so every time? What is to stop them from bringing every one of their problems to us? To bring every war lord and murderer to us to deal with? I want to help Kwanza, but what of all the other Lion Kings gathered here? Are we bound to deal with every War Lord every time one rises?" She asked him.

"If necessary." Marsade said with a thread of coldness to his voice.

"Marsade! You can't rule a kingdom and travel the world at the same time! How do you expect to go where you are needed when you restrict yourself to one kingdom?"

Marsade broke off, and Danyal looked at the five Shaman. Yessen hadn't raised his voice, or displated any anger, but his displeasure was apparent on the ground she stood, where it was fractured and cracked. Gusts blew around Halien, and he could see Margane's breath form clouds when she spoke, the temperature plunging around them, her breath evaporating with her patience.

"I can't believe I am hearing this! Shein is evil, Yessen!" Marsade said.

"Yes! I know that! He'll burn in the fires of the Dark One's pits with all the tyrants for his crimes. The Devourer will feed on his soul for the rest of time. But our focus must be to the world, not to one Pride. If we interfere here then we destabilise the entire circle. We could do more harm than good."

"I am getting tired of you and your constant fear! You didn't used to be so easily scared, Rafiki! You weren't always so frightened of power! When you were mortal, you would have stood up for what was right and hang the consequences! How can we protect the world, when the people on it are suffering? We were given our powers for a reason, Yessen! How do we know that reason isn't to help people? Who is to say this wasn't why we received them? To topple tyrants and murderers like Shan-Al-Kir?"

"Enough."

Margane said, and there was a rush of air. Her patience was worn out, and the ground around her flashed and froze into a biting frost. She took a step forwards and it crunched beneath her feet.

"Look around us." She commanded, her voice like the cracking of glaciers, and the Shaman did.

The ground around Marsade was burned, singed, still glowing hot in another. Blown apart around Halien, fractured and broken around Yessen. Five identical circles of scarred land from their power bursting from them.
Danyal remembered when Sundar's own powers had leapt from her unbidden in her anger against her father and new that their argument was stirring powerful feeling in the shaman of the world.

Yessen blinked when he looked upon it.

"Umm… My Lords and Lady-Shaman?" A small voice came. All five turned in surprise, and Danyal, entranced at the etheric displays of power, during in surprise having not been paying attention to any of the surroundings while this battle of wills was occurring. It was a young lion cub, and Marsade recognised him immediately.

"Kono…" He said. Jino's son nodded, looking around uncertainly.

"Um… Kwanza… that's to say, um, the High King, um, he wants you – I mean, he wanted to ask if you were able to come with him and the other lions to speak with… with Shein." Kono said, looking agitated. With the sights he could see, Danyal didn't blame him. Margane seethed, her eyes cold. She nodded to the young cub, and turned to the others.

"There is your answer. We can observe this meeting. We can continue this… discussion… later. If Kwanza is able to negotiate a peace with Shien, then this will all be for naught anyway." She said. Marsade brooded, his eyes giving a clear indication of what he thought of any peace with Emperor Shan-Al-Kir. They were angry and bitter. Slowly, he let out a breath.

"Very well." He said. "Then let us go with the Lion Kings. Let us bear witness to their negotiations."

A few moments Danyal watched the shaman re-join the lions who had gathered at Crown Rock. Although aware of their disagreements, no lion made any comment or passed any judgement upon witnessing such a clash. Danyal was disquieted. He had never seen Rafiki act this way in the presence. Still further, he wondered what Marsade had intended in showing him this. To show him that Marsade had once been a compassionate and kind hearted shaman? To show that we was once friends with other lions? If Kono and Jino were alive today, he could easily imagine Marsade being willing to slaughter them, along with the any of the allies who opposed the modern Shai'tan Imperium. Shan-Al-Kir's ancient Empire was just as clear a threat.

So the lions left the sanctuary of Crown Rock.

Not all of them – for it would have been foolish to leave their home unattended. The citadel of the lion kings remained guarded by several lionesses, who remained to guard their home, their cubs and the youngest and the oldest of the group. They remained at Crown Rock.

However, Jino, Kwanza, and several of the other rulers went with the Shaman to the place where Ba'alin went. The Tiger Lord seemed troubled, and he was eyed suspiciously by several of the Lion Kings. In a different time, Danyal might have thought such prejudice cruel and unkind, but he knew he himself would be unlikely to trust anyone who shared a gene with the likes of Shien or Ben-Kai-Ra, much less a ruling member of their species.

They travelled for several hours in stoic silence, some distance from Crown Rock, passing over a River at one point (mercifully free of a resident River Lord – such an encounter would have been catastrophic at this point) and heading north, into a land not unfamiliar to where Danyal had first seen Jino and his family.

They passed into a heavily wooded area when Ba'alin cleared his throat.

"This was the he said to meet." He said by way of explanation. Which made sense. Why would Shein come out into the open? So they continued. After several more moments, Kwanza's nose twitched and he halted again. Danyal could smell nothing, but that was of little notice, for no scents or smells seemed to have any bearing here.

"He's here…" He said slowly. And the dozen lions looked around.

They moved a little further, and there, there was a flash of orange.
Shein stood there, little way ahead of them. Completely exposed. His posture was relaxed, his attitude calm. He radiated a sense of anger though. It made Danyal's blood boil to look at him. Such a manifestation of a cruelty and lust and anger. A creature of such hellish madness that it made his stomach twist just to see him. When the Ancient Emperor's eyes looked upon the ghosts of the Great Kings, there was nothing there. No life. No fear. Just raw emptiness.

"Ah…" Said Shien. "You have come. I wondered. I am pleased…" He looked at the other Lion Kings. "King Jino! What a pleasant surprise… How's that eye of yours?" He asked calmly. Jino looked back through his single eye, and there was a cold hatred there, but Jino said nothing. He wouldn't rise to such obvious bait. He only looked to Kwanza. The Great King looked at Shein, his gaze unreadable. There was anger there, certainly, but a whole host of other things. Disgust and horror, and perhaps even a swell of pity for the mad creature he saw. Why would he feel that?

Danyal looked at the King in confusion.

"Shan-Al-Kir." He said. "You've entered my lands, and the lands of my brother kings. You've brought blood and destruction with you. You've brought malice and cruelty. You brought fear and death."

"I did. Are you here to pass judgement upon me, your majesty?" Shein asked, tauntingly.

"No. I am here to speak with you. To… broker peace. What do you want Shein? Why do all this? For what point and purpose? What is it that was worth what you unleashed?" He asked him. Shien was calm.

"Who said I wanted anything? Death. Destruction. Chaos. Maybe that is whatI want?"

"No. You're too cunning a creature for that… You revel in the pain you sow, I'll grant you, but it is a pleasure, a pastime. Not a goal in and of itself."

"Can you be certain of that?"

"I want power. I want to be respected – and feared. I want pleasure and passion. I want lands, and titles. I want people to fall at my feet, to kneel at my command. I wants crowns and dominions and thrones. I want mates and lovers. I want meat and water and a den. I want power and I want submission."

"Then, let us talk…" Kwanza said. "And we shall come to some sort of deal."

"Deal with you" He gave a smile. "Why Bargain for what I want when if I am strong enough, I can simply take it?" The fallen Tiger Lord asked.

"You think you can take whatever you want? Does that include the respect of your species and the love of mates? Your crowns and thrones? Those are things to be earned, Shein."

"I have earned them. Just look! Look upon my new Imperium, King Kwanza." He said. And with a motion of his paw, others emerged. Although he himself had stood openly and ready, others moved between the trees, naturally camouflaged and stealthed, emerging now they had been called upon. Tiger Lords and Ladies, mighty warriors, cunning schemers. Youths full of smite and a desire to prove themselves, their heads filled with talk of glory and spoils to be won in battle, and others older tigers, bitter and hate filled, worn of life and the chances luck had dealt them, eager to lash out a despised world that despised them in turn. Criminals and exiled killers, but also those whom Ba'alin knew and recognised. Former Tiger Lords, their loyalty to the king supplanted with loyalty to a new a powerful emperor. Growls filled the air, and Danyal was immediately put on edge. They couldn't harm him, but he tensed nevertheless.

"Behold. You have your kingdoms, Kwanza. And I have mine. It wasn't hard. You see, the laws you uphold, they are all reliant on a simple fact – fear. You rule through fear. Fear of consequences. Fear of retribution. Fear of reprisals. But take that from them, and anyone can make themselves greater than the mightiest king. You say that I bring fear, Kwanza. I don't. I end fear. It just so happens, that that is what you fear most of all. An end to your own power." The Emperor said.

"Shein! You're not showing courage with your willingness to slaughter at will! It isn't brave to murder and steal whatever you want because no one can stop you!" Ba'alin said, the Tiger Lord looking frightened now, at the appearance of other fighters, far more than he had expected. More than he knew had joined the Emperor. Shien laughed.
"Are you one to talk of bravery, Ba'alin? You, who go running and weeping to the King, rather than fighting yourself? If you believe my actions to be wrong, then come. Stand here. In front of everyone. Stand by your words and your beliefs. Strike me down, and prove that your ideals are greater than mine." Shein said, growling dangerously. Ba'alin looked at the great tiger lord and tried not to flinch away from his gaze, but it was clear to all who saw who the greater fighter was.

"I didn't come here to fight with you. I came here so that we could end this war, before it's begun." Ba'alin said honestly, the other tiger lord looking uncertain, but bold. The Emperor only gave him a look of distain. Then he tensed slightly. And suddenly, he was standing next to Ba'alin, having closed the distance with the speed of a cheetah. In mere moments, his claws were unleashed and sliced clean through flesh. Quicker than anybody could react, scarlet blood sprayed and Ba'alin gave a howl of pain. Yessen yelled, Marsade shouted out in surprise, the surrounding Shai'tan exalted in a cry of bloodlust and Kwanza roared. Ba'alin coughed, and Shien's teeth snapped around his throat. There was a great crunch as He twisted, and slammed his shoulder into Ba'alins side. He strained his back, and Ba'alin was thrown over. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"I offered him a chance to stop me." He observed. "A shame he wasn't brave enough to even try." He hissed, and slammed his paw into the body one last time, his claws piercing and drawing further blood. There was no response from his cold dead body. The others stared in horror. It had happened too quickly for anyone to react, and despite knowing it could easily have been him who lay dead, Kwanza growled in astonishment.

"You didn't need to do that!" He shouted angrily. Shien shrugged.

"I wanted too." He said brightly.

"Why!" Yessen demanded of him. "Why call us here to discuss peace, if you only intended to kill again? Why show us your numbers and your strength if you intended to do this?" The shaman asked.

"I didn't call you anywhere, Shaman." He said, bearin his teeth. Then he gave a snort. "I would have thought the fabled shaman would be wiser… I don't want to kill any of you." But his eyes narrowed when he looked upon Kwanza and other Lion Kings. "I want to wipe your species from the face of Africa. Why should we listen to you? If you can't stop myactions, why should I fear the consequences of them? You can't punish me for them. You can't prevent them. You are powerless to stop me. Like insects. Why should any creature bow to such weakness?"

"You would commit genocide in the name of their supposed weakness?" Margane asked, the chimpanzee looking shocked and spoke for the first time.

"No. When a lion moves into a new den, Kwanza, he drives out its previous inhabitants. Prey animals, insects and vermin who might have sought shelter in its places are killed and driven out. Nests are cleansed. Dens are wiped of the stain of its previous occupants.

I am not declaring War, Kwanza. I am exterminating vermin." He said.

"You are a remarkable and powerful creature, Shein. But I don't think even you are quite capable of genocide. Not matter what your madness." Kwanza said, the great golden maned creature stood resolute.

"We'll see what I am capable of, your majesty. You were foolish to think that these are all of the Tiger Lords who have sided with me. The message is spreading. More and more from all over Africa are hearing my call. They want to be free. Free of the shackles that bind them. Free of the reign of other, lesser creatures."

"Then we will fight them. And they will be defeated."
"It's not the number of fighters, Kwanza. It's what they are capable off. My new empire, is capable of so much more then you could imagine."

"And what are they capable of, Shein? A few dozen murders, exiles, rouges and killers? What can you do with the scum of the earth, Emperor Shan-Al-Kir? My Kingdom is full of loyal subjects. It upholds honour and law and is filled with lions who love and trust and respect each other. What does your collective of rouges and brigands have? What are they capable of?" Kwanza asked, his voice full of derision.

"As I said. They are capable of cleansing the nests." Shien said.

The words hit Marsade like ice cold water. But it was Rafiki who cried out in horror.

"Kwanza! He's attacking Crown Rock!" The Emperor grinned.

The Emperor wanted to wipe out Kwanza's kingdom, by ensuring that his line was never continued. That his mate, and cubs never survived to reign in his stead. And with the chaos and madness of the recent months, the offspring and heirs of a dozen Lion Kings were all gathered together at the supposed safety of Crown Rock. The place was a fortress, that was true – but the kings, the princes and warriors were here, confronting the supposed threat from Shien. Emperor Shan-Al-Kir wasn't interested in peace! He didn't want to negotiate. He just wanted the rulers and fighters of the Great Kingdoms to leave Crown Rock undefended. He laughed now, his voice ice cold and manic.

"I warned that you were foolish to think that these were all of my followers, Kwanza! Its too late to do anything now!" He shouted out. Kwanza's eyes widened in fear. Askari. His unborn cub.

"NO!" Kwanza shouted. He turned and ran, the other lion Kings looking in astonishment as the truth and horror dawned on them all. Surely he wouldn't do this? Even Shien-Su wouldn't commit such a monstrosity! He had killed rouges, yes, and Kings, and other lions in ambushes and attacks, He had maimed and murdered, and even dismembered the corpses of those he defeated, but even he for all of his cruelty, all of his malice, had never stooped so low as to attack a mere cub.

Danyal watched in mute horror as it dawned upon him.

He certainly would.
And it would be a slaughter. There would be know way out. The den was sparsely defended, with only a few warriors there! Even fewer if the huntresses were out – as seemed likely given the time of day. Jino, the one eyed King almost choked in anguish.

"Kono." He said. His Son. Emperor Shan-Al-Kir laughed.

"Laws are the refuge of the weak. Compassion the habitat of the powerless. Mercy the shelter of the unworthy! Only the strong can rule. And how strong is a king who can't protect the things he loves? How strong are you really, Kwanza? Strong enough to save your bloodline?"
Kwanza turned. "Quickly!" He called, and ran full pelt back the way they had come, but he hadn't made it far before his way was blocked by a few tiger. They weren't outnumbered, but they didn't have the time for this. Kwanza's claws were free and tearing through fur and flesh in moments, Jino too gave a war cry and struck out at another.

A lioness nearby gave a shout as she was overwhelmed, but the other lions, hysterical and manic, left her where she stood, not even noticing in their overwhelming desire to return to protect their loved ones. Marsade turned back to Shein, only in time, to see the last flash of orange as his tail disappeared into the trees

"NO!" He shouted out, flames bursting into existence around his hands in his fury, his eyes peering, trying to find a clean shot after him, but there was no trace. Instead, he turned around and let loose a wide cone of fire at a pair of tigers coming up upon Shaana and one of the other Kings. The tigers shied away from the heat, giving off loud growls, and Yessen's staff appeared in his hand, the baboon giving a shout.

"Go! Go! Go!" He shouted, slamming his rod into the ground. And the earth shifted. The ground fractured around them, opening a short but deep chasm between the oncoming tigers and the fleeing lions. Halien span her own rod, sending scythes of cutting wind through the trees before them, severing away the branches and leaving them to be trampled underfoot and clearing a path ahead of them. Marsade's attention was broken with a loud roar, and he was knocked to the ground by a tiger's paw swipe. He groaned as he rolled along the ground, blood spilling from puncture wounds. The tiger ran over to him as he tried to pull himself to his feet, and bit a hold of Marsade's outstretch hand at the arm. With a roar, he pulled it aside, and Marsade gave a scream as the bone snapped, his eyes shut in pain.

"Marsade!" Rafiki cried, looking back and seeing Marsade injured and in pain. Yessen turned at the sound and took one step towards him, but Rafiki didn't need any of their help. Even with his staff some feet away where he had dropped it as he'd been attacked, his power was great.

"Get off me, filth." He hissed, and his eyes opened. They gleamed with a scarlet light that now emanated from his form as Danyal had so often seen Sundar do so.

The Tiger was thrown backwards, and Marsade's other hand reached out closed into a fist. The Tiger hung in the air, suspended by Marsade's magic. Them he pulled his fist tighter, and the tiger gave a soundless scream as his body was bent backwards. The unfortunate creature's spin snapped in two, almost bent in half by Marsade's will. Then, giving a snarl, flames ignited in its fur. Black smoke billowed around him as the meat sizzled and Marsade flared the flames with his own will. Then with a contemptuous flick of his unbroken wrist, the now shapeless mess of blood and flesh and fire, was sent spiralling away from them, over the chasm, colliding into a second Shai'tan where the flames lashed out and spilled around them. Clutching his broken arm, Marsade turned around, and Rafiki was there.

"Come on…" He said, and dragged his friend after. They had to run to keep up with the sprinting lions. But they were no long chased, because with that display of power, the rest of the Shai'tan retreated after their master. Suddenly, the reason for their choice of a dense woodland became apparent. If Marsade unleashed his fury upon them here, the flames would spread and kill all within its borders – including themselves, and the Lion Kings. Although Disgruntled, Marsade continued to run, running for what felt like an age, occasionally letting off a burst of shamanic power, wiping away fatigue and aches, and pains, forcing themselves to make it back to crown rock.

They made it back to crown rock.

But not in time.

Although Danyal could not smell it, he knew as soon as the stench of blood hit them, their noses twitching, eyes widening. Slicks of blood littered the ground around the base of Crown Rock. Kwanza paused as he saw a first body – a Tiger Lord, covered in wounds, his own paws dripping in blood.

"Askari!" He shouted, in pain. Jino looked around in panic.

"Kono!" He cried out. Rafiki looked around, his eyes wide with pain. Yessen looked appalled, and Margane eyes were wide and red, and looked as though she were trying not to weep. More and more bodies could be seen here and there, as they made their way further into the den, lionesses and warriors now, and here and there more Shai'tan. Anxiety gripping them, the party moved further through.

"No!" Margane, called, as she caught sight of a younger, smaller body. The lifeless body of a young cub, its face turned away. And there were more. Scattered between the bodies of the fighters, more of the fragile broken bodies of mere children could be spotted. The massacre continued for some time, and Danyal could feel bile rise in his throat. He could so easily imagine the broken forms of Inti and Sara and Zuri and Calin and Koron and Kiava there as well. How could such a thing happen? The High king's ears twitched.

The sounds of battle could be heard, further into the den. Snarling and fighting.

It wasn't over yet.

"ASKARI!" He called, and ran ahead, the others following. There were still those in Crown Rock who could draw breath.

There, ahead of them, a small party of lionesses could be seen, pushed to the far end of the den. Barley half a dozen still breathing, and behind them, the huddled forms of a few surviving cubs, terrified, their eyes widened, some covered in blood, and displaying minor injuries. The lionesses were all worse for wear, each of them sporting some injury of some kind.

And between them and the returning warriors, where a full dozen Shai'tan. It was clear who was about to win this fight.

Kwanza roared, and the Shai'tan turned and saw the vengeful Lion Kings, rage and fury coming after them from behind. The maddening grief of lions – kings, princes and warriors who had lost loved ones manifested and incarnate charging towards him.

And Marsade let himself join the charge. Flanked, and surrounded, one Shai'tan went down quickly. Another clawed at Jino.

"DAD!" Kono shouted from behind the paws of a huntress. And Jino's single eye fell upon a Tiger whose snarl of anger turned to a yelp of pain and fear as his claws found their mark.

Marsade swung his staff like a polearm, and its thornwood end struck a Shai'tan in the head. It reared back in pain, and Marsade pirouetted, and drove his staff like a spear into the Shai'tan's chest. Then the Shai'tan exploded into flame. Another fell to a pair of lionesses, and a fourth fell to Kwanza, the high king's fury unsated by the blood he spilled.

Massacre and slaughter, the attempted genocide of his race. These were not crimes that could go unpunished, and punish them he would. The golden maned High King struck out with a righteous fury that instilled terror in those who remained.

The surviving Shai'tan, tried to force their way out of den, trying to find some escape, some way out. One clawed at Jino, but Marsade was there, and his flames danced again, searing into another.
Halien and Margane didn't unleash their sorcery upon the fleeing Shai'tan, but the female Shaman did duck under blows aimed for them, and slammed their staffs into the side of a Shai'tan as one, propelling the creature some height into the air.

Yessen cursed, and raised his staff, and with it a shard of rock was ripped clean from the ground. With a groan, he hurled it at the descending Shai'tan, and the boulder struck him as he fell sending him to the wall with a sickening crack. Then, gripping a fist, the boulder shattered into three dozen razor sharp shards of granite. The speartips of stone flew through the air, and enveloped the cubs in a phalanx of spears, defending them from any of the remaining Shai'tan. But it seemed unnecessary, given that the Shai'tan were now in full flight. Kwanza grunted as a pair of Shai'tan clawed at him, the High king stumbling.

"NO!" Rafiki cried out. His staff struck the ground, and the Shai'tan were flung from his friend. The shockwave hit the other fleeing Shai'tan, and sent them falling to the ground. The power than emanated from

The mandrill seemed to twist light around him, distorting the air. His eyes flickered a brilliant gold for a moment. Margane and Yessen, the Shaman closest to him let out cries of pain at the power surged around him. Rafiki's fist struck the air in front of him and another shock wave rippled out, stronger than the first, and this one propelled them into the air. Inhaling, the mandrill closed his eyes, calming himself, cold fury simmering within him, contained and directed. He breathed slowly, brought his hands together in an arcing movement. The falling Shai'tan slowed, and hung there in the air. He exhaled, and opened his eyes. The irises were a solid gold, polished like copper. He remained still, and the Shai'tan hung there, suspended with the sheer force of his will. One growled in rage.

"RELEASE ME, I –"

"BE SILENT!" Rafiki commanded. His eyes flickered, flashing with starlight. The creature was still, though it still thrashed.

There was silence.

The fighting was over.

They stood there, in the blood and the carnage. Between the blood and the bodies of the Pride's children, and the warriors and huntress' who had given their lives to defend them. Now, only a handful remained.

Margane and Halien went to the wounded, trying to bring healing and comfort to those they could. Marsade stood apart, looking at the slaughter with disgust and horror.

"Kwanza… My love…" a voicecame. Askari. They had found her. She was still alive. The High Queen was injured, there were deep claw marks all over her. She was pale, and anquished.

"Askari…" Kwanza ran to her. "Are you…"

"I live… But… Our baby… Our cub…" She looked down. Some of her injuries marked her belly. If even a single claw had found its mark, if any of trauma she had endured reached that delicate spot… They could already have lost their child. Kwanza pressed a paw to her stomach.

"It's okay… It's okay…" He told her. Rafiki's heart twisted at hearing his voice… For although he knew he intended to bring comfort, he could hear the despair in his voice, even as he heard the cries of relief from the lioness's who found their cubs alive… and the cries of despair… from those who did not. The same despair leaked into Kwanza's own voice. Rafiki's face contorted into a hateful snarl.

"No."

His hand jerked around. And the four Shai'tan twisted. Four identical *snaps* rung out, and the Pride froze. The Shai'tan hung in the air were stilled.

Then, Rafiki let them drop, and they fell to the ground with four *thud*s. Their heads hanging limp, their necks twisted and broken. Rafiki turned around without another look and moved to Kwanza, and Askari. The Great Lion looked up atRafiki, the old Shaman's hands moving down.

"You will not lose your child. And you will not lose your mate." He looked around. "Come on." He said. "You are Shaman. Is this not why we exist? We are healers." And with no further encouragement, Marsade and Margane, Yessen and Halien, moved among the injured, the dead, working their shamanism, weaving their magic, tending those that were still within their power to help.

They buried the dead at the base of Crown Rock. Marsade and Yessen made their way back to the bloodied woodland, where they retrieved the bodies of Ba'alin and the fallen lionesses. The lionesses were buried with their kin. The Voice of the Tiger Lords was left to his followers, who took their Lord to bury their own way.

Then with the Pride still mourning, the Five Shaman convened at the base of Crown Rock. After a moment, it was Rafiki who spoke.

"Kwanza and his mate will live. And so will their child. No one else had died of their injuries. No one else will suffer today because of what Emperor Shan-Al-Kir did." Rafiki said firmly. He looked at the others.

"So we are faced with the same old choice… Do we leave them to their fate? Do we allow them to continue alone?" He looked around. Marsade ground his teeth.

"We cannot do that. Shien is a monster. Look at what he has done. He will only do worse from this point onwards. He must have known the Shai'tan he sent would be destroyed on our return." He looked at Rafiki. "Which means he had more. More who would die for him. The Lion Kings don't stand a chance alone. They'll be killed."

"No. Kwanza is mighty and powerful. He will rally his subjects. It will be a hard struggle. But we have done all we can here. The Balance must be manatined. The forces of nature must be kept in check. We cannot afford to involve ourselves here any further than we already have." Margane said firmly. "In truth, I do not know if I can force my self to watch such slaughter anymore.

Halien nodded.

"Agreed. This war will have ripples. Knock on affects. Others will be caught in the fighting. There will be famine – and with famine comes disease. I shall go south. And do what I can for the poor creatures who will be swept up in this fighting." She said. Marsade nodded, his jaw set.

"And You Yessen? You know what I will do now. You will do what I did to the Shaman who did this to me:" He said, and held up his arm. The bone was already healed, and the scars would remain for a few days. Its wasn't the injury though, that Marsade wanted revenge for. The blood stains of Crown Rock would remain in people's minds for years after rain would wash away the visible stains. Marsade wanted to watch Shai'tan burn. Yessen sighed.

"I will not be party to such a thing. I have said before. It is foolishness to do such a thing. You are letting your emotions cloud your judgement, your anger and your fury, and your love of justice are blinding you to the fact that it is not for us to interfere with this worlds affairs.

"WHY!?" Marsade asked. Yessen let out a sigh of exasperation.

"WHY! Because you have the power over the flames of nature, Marsade! The wildfire and the inferno are your domain. Volcanoes and blazes and eruptions! You'd devastate the land with your anger not save it. There will be consequences to abusing that much power!"

"Abusing it? I watched Kucha die. Kwanza or Jino could be next! They needn't face this danger! Help me! Let me end this war before it's even begun. I can find Shan-Al-Kir. I can destroy him, and his followers. I will end them so utterly that they can never again threaten our friends!" He stormed. Margane had a half frowned, and Danyal could see that it pained her to hear these things from her friend. She wanted to help him, he could see it in her eyes, but the potential consequences of it, and the knowledge that it would be a misuse of her powers prevented her.

"If you use the Gift of the Shaman in this war, then you'll instil a fear of the Shaman and their power in the minds of all who come after."

"You used it!" Marsade accused.

"I used it to help them escape. To protect and defend. You used it to fight. You should not have done that. The people of this land will come to fear the power we use. See it as a weapon, instead of gift."

"Well, maybe they ought to be frightened. Maybe they should fear what happens when murder the people I love? You're frightened by your own power! If I were strong, I would use my strength to protect the ones I loved. If I were smart, I would use my mind. If I could weave words and create bonds between friends, I would use my tongue. I would use whatever skills or talents I had to bring about peace! To help others! To do what is right. Why is this any different? My gifts can be used to help others! They can be used to help the Lion Kings! Why shouldn't I use them?" He said in anger. This was the familiar Marsade now. The one who was angry and bitter, though the malevolence and malice was not present. He seemed full of frustration and anger, impatience and determination were no crime. Even though his eyes seemed to blaze. Yessen looked on his brother. He reached out a hand but Marsade shrugged away.

"You shouldn't place that responsibility upon yourself. You are not a king. You are a guardian of this world, not its ruler. It would be a heresy, a perversion of our gifts to use them to reign – even as a benevolent god. These powers, these gifts, they are powerful. They are frightening. And they work beyond the circle of life."

"Why shouldn't I use them how I wish? I control them, they don't control me!" Marsade said.

"Our gifts, the Rods of Shaman are shards of the very power used to create this world! Fragments of the Divine! The power of creation itself! They are a check. A balance. A tool to be used to rebalance the circle of the life when it is disturbed. They are to be used to heal the world, not reshape it – even if we think we are reshaping it for the better."

"Shein is evil." Marsade said helplessly.

"Shien is a mortal! He is cruel yes, but he is of this world! I've already told you. He is an earthly sickness. His reign must have an earthly remedy."

"And what if it's not enough?!"

"That isn't what we are meant for!"

"Who says?" Marsade shouted. And flame burst into existence around him. "Who says?! You?! You are not my master! You have no authority to control me!"

"Marsade, don't be a fool." Halien said.

"Do you know what will happen if me interfere? If we dare meddle for the good of others?" Margane asked.

"Do you?" Marsade retorted.

"More people will die. Like the children who were slaughtered today."

"Nothing could have been done. We were too slow to save them all, and nothing we could have done would have changed that." Marsade looked upon Rafiki.

"And you, old friend? You used your powers today. To help others. For good. You killed the Shai'tan who tried to murder the child of your friend. What if I had been one of those who lay bloodied and cold beneath the ground today? Would you be persuaded then? You've already killed four Shai'tan. Do you regret that?" Marsade asked him. Rafiki looked at Marsade.

"No." He said. "I don't. They deserved to die for what they did. I don't regret it." Rafiki said.

Danyal stared. He had never seen Rafiki look like this.

"I'll admit, I was hesitant, Yessen. I understand your arguments, and your logic. But when we start to listen only to our heads and not to our hearts as well, is a day I fear. My mind tells me that I ought to walk away. To go back to my work, protecting this earth, keeping the circle of life in balance. But my heart, tells me that these people need our help."

"Kwanza is my friend. So is Askari. What Emperor Shan-Al-Kir tried to do today is contrary to everything we stand for. I for one will remain here, and do what I can for them. I will shall heal their wounded, tend to their dead, and use whatever means necessary to protect them from this monster. Just as I would for any of you."

"Rafiki-"

"Yessen. Please. Just go. If you feel you can't remain here, then just go." Rafiki said. Marsade couldn't help but smile, even as he felt a chasm open between the two of them, and his fellow Shaman. Yessen looked at them both.

"You are making a huge mistake." He told them. Rafiki shook his head.

"No. My mind is made up. I shall do what feels right." Margane and Halien looked at one another.

The gibbon reached out and took Marsade's hand.

"If you are going to fight here… Then be careful. And when it's over, come back to us." Halien embraced Rafiki.

"Good luck. And Goodbye." She said, and when farewells were exchanged, Yessen looked at the two of them sadly.

"If your minds are made up and their truly nothing I can say…"

"There isn't." Marsade said, more harshly then he intended. Yessen sighed.

"Then, goodbye, my friends." And with that, the Shaman separated. Margane and Halien went East, to the edges of the Great Kingdom, where soon enough the herds, and other inhabitants who wanted nothing to do with the fighting would flee. Yessen went South, relying on his solitude and his own counsel. And it was as simple as that. The gathering of the greatest powers the world knew was over. When they were gone, nothing was said.

Then, Rafiki turned to Marsade, he held out a hand. The Fire Priest took his outstretched arm and grasped it gratefully, turning to face the lion Kings as they mourned their dead.

"Thank you, old friend. For standing with me." Marsade said. Rafiki nodded.

"I do not forsake my friends." Rafiki told him. "Shein-Su, or Shan-Al-Kir, or whatever he calls himself now, cannot, must not, be allowed to continue this madness."

"So." Marsade said softly. "Lets us inform Kwanza of our decision. We will fight with them. Help them end this." Rafiki nodded, though he was clearly troubled.

"End this? My dear Marsade… I fear this is only just beginning…"

And the pair of them headed back to crown rock.

Danyal stared after them, his mind reeling.

"Still think we are so different?" A voice came to him. Danyal turned, and stumbled back in horror, as he saw Marsade staring at him. His fur was greyed and blacked in places, and his skin pale. He was missing his arm, and his teeth were exposed and yellowing. This was no echo, no shade of the past. This was the real, living Marsade – or a manifestation of him at any rate. He was staring at Danyal intently. He cackled.

"We fought. We fought and danced in fire and blood. We turned the power of the heavens against mere mortals. To hell with Yessen and his balance. To the void with his caution and his patience. We wanted blood. Perhaps a hunter such as yourself would sympathise more than my fellow apes."

"The only people I know who'd sympathise with you are the Shai'tan you butchered."

"Butchered did? Same as Rafiki then… There is not a thing I've done that Rafiki hasn't. Not a drop of blood on my hands that Rafiki doesn't also bear. Did you think that your precious healer was any different? He wanted revenge. He wanted to hurt people who hurt him… And he had the will to do it. I'd like to say we're only mortal… but that doesn't quite ring true, does it."

"You fought the old Shai'tan. The Old Imperium… The old Emperor."
"I did… I guess I felt it was important at the time… Too bad Rafiki lost sight of that."

"Are you trying to tell me that Rafiki was as big of a monster as you?"

"I am showing you that, Danyal. Everything the land saw, you now see. I am still amazed that you haven't worked it out…"

"Worked what out?"

"The visions you see are only what the land has witnessed… Sure, what you see on Crown Rock, is little different… but what you saw in Jino's Kingdom? In Nevrue's and Nyah's? The Edgelands, and the Farlands, where you watched Tiger Lord Traitors, attack and slaughter just to get Kwanza's attention? To get him desperate enough that he'd risk leaving Crown Rock undefended? Where do you suppose those events took place?"

"I don't know… I've never seen those lands before." Danyal said, his eyes narrowing. Marsade laughed.

"Oh yes you have! Ah, you probably can't tell these days… would it help if I scattered some termite mounds here and there? A spot of wasteland?" Marsade laughed. Danyal swallowed.

"Are you telling me…" He said slowly… "That those lands… that Jino's Kingdom… those are the outlands?" He gasped in shock. Marsade looked at him.

"The War changed the landscape of the entirety of the Great Kingdoms… The Outlands was one of Rafiki's worst crimes."

"Rafiki did that?!" Danyal gasped.

What power… what force could blast a land dry? Suck it of all water, devour all life? Nothing mortal, that was for sure. Danyal took a step back, an uncomfortable feeling growing in his stomach. Marsade laughed.

"Now, you see… Now you understand. You could only dream of what Rafiki was capable of in those final days of the war. The fires of the Old Imperium tempered me into hardened steel… but they broke Rafiki apart." Marsade said. The world began to melt away, the visions fading. There was nothing. Just an empty void of blackness. A nothingness, with just Danyal and Marsade there.

"Now. I am sure you have a lot to think about. Unfortunately, there isn't much time for that." Said Marsade. "Shall we begin?" Danyal's eyes only had time to widen before a spike of pain hit him. He yelled in pain. Marsade was staring at him intently still, his focus fixed upon him.

And then the pain hit Danyal again. The image of Marsade within his mind vanished with a crazed laughed, but the pain continued, building, pulsing, throbbing, bursting within him. Every wound Danyal had exploded into anguish. He felt as if he were on fire. Even unconsciousness was no sanctuary.

His mind screamed.

AN:

There is of course one more Flashback Chapter required to finish the story of Five Shaman. That which tells the end of Imperial Wars in Africa, and the exile to Asiatica. But that is enough for now.

It's something, isn't it, to see Marsade and Rafiki working together? It's also something to see Shien-Su.

The Emperor who would become Shan-Al-Kir, is terrifying here, and we get a good long look at his back story.

It might be hard to understand Yessen's reasoning – but he recognises that the Shaman's power comes from a source that is otherworldly. He knows the reason for the power, and he is hesitant to use it for any other reason.
They are not meant to rule with their power – and that is what Marsade wants to do, even if it's for good reasons.

Their power is too dangerous, too absolute to put him in charge of lives. Such a thing is dangerous.

Sadly for Danyal all of this is just a brief distraction for him. Marsade will continue his torture, both physically and mentally. Sleep, and unconsciousness is no defence from a Shaman. Marsade will continue the torture however he wishes.

Note that he's abandoned all pretence of questioning or interrogation here. In Danyal's mind, the only thing he wants is to hurt Rafiki's friends – while also experimenting on Sundar's healing capabilities.

We've also hit 20 chapters. Not to worry. This story will be continuing until 30.

There is plenty to come. Enjoy everyone! And remember, please leave a review.