Written and created by
Jason McCammon
Brown-Eyed Dreams LLC.
Jason McCammon
Copyright 2014 2.1 BrownEyed Dreams LLC.
Published by Brown-Eyed Dreams LLC.
Chicago IL 60619
Original Copyright 2009 Jason McCammon
Ebook Version 2.1 Copyright 2014
Inside artwork by Shawn Alleyene*
*except runes, runes created by Jason McCammon.
Art copyright 2009
Cover Bomani image by Shawn Alleyne
Cover design by Jason McCammon
Ancient Lands logo by Splash @ Shrapnel Studios
Logo copyright 2009
Other cover art by Jason McCammon
Front cover copyright 2009
Back cover copyright 2009
Back cover design by Jason McCammon
Back cover- mask(family crest) by Shawn Alleyne
All artwork owned and copyright by Brown-Eyed Dreams LLC.
Senior Editor Barbara Bartel
Editor Melissa Randle El
Edited by Yanna Bille
Edited by Geneva Gibson
Edited by Gina Kim
Proofread by Candece Brickler
Proofread by Patricia Brickler
ISBN 9780984312023 ebook
For ordering information of current and future books please visit:
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-For My Parents, who always do
everything within their power to help.
-For everyone who ever tried to teach me
anything, especially the teachers...
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
1 THE BOY
2 THE TEST
3 COMPANION
4 BERRIES
5 END OF THE ROAD
6 CRYSTALS, STAFF, AND, POWER
7 RUNES
8 BANDAGES
9 ROUND ONE
10 FIRE AND WATER
11 WHERE BLOOM FLOWERS BLOOM
12 FOLK TALE OF AN ANGRY MOUNTAIN
13 FLOGGIN THE NOGGIN
14 SISTER SISTER
15 SEEKING THE ENEMY
16 PITFALL FIELDS
17 FRIEND OR FOE
18 THE LIONS OF UFALME
19 DIM SUNLIGHT?
20 THE BONE YARD
21 THE SHADOWLIGHT
22 THE TEMPLE OF WANYAMA
23 MIGHTY WINGS
24 GOLDEN WINGS
25 THE ILL POOL
26 THE KITUNUSI
27 BROKEN BONDS
29 CAGES
30 A FRIEND INDEED
31 ROCKS AND DOORS
32 SHINING IN THE DARK
33 OVER THE HILL
34 GOLDEN CROWN
35 GROWTH
PROLOGUE
Madunia. Today, on planet Earth, in a language called Swahili, it means world. In many ways, Madunia was a world just like Earth. The hearts of the people were filled with hopes and dreams, which often carried them through times of despair and chaos.
The known world of Madunia consisted mostly of one large continent and a few small islands off its coast. To the north were the endless sands; hot, brutal, and only inhabited by a several small groups of people. Its end has never been reached. The rest of this large land mass was surrounded by oceans; also assumed to be endless.
The Madunians knew nothing of the distant places in the galaxy. As for the stars, to them, those magnificent points of light were the windows through which the gods could look down and observe the world, which they had created. Madunia.
This story takes place during a time when much of Madunia was in turmoil, filled with war and destruction. It started with a man named Montok and continued through his children. After his death, those siblings fought to control all regions of the world and split the lands amongst themselves.
Montok’s children were fueled by absolute greed, a need to rule, and an undying hunger to conquer. They built armies, conquered villages and kingdoms, and sought to destroy the very fabric of humanity. This resulted in any number of uprisings and resistance. The people tried their best to thwart Montok’s insatiable brood, but the armies of the siblings, the terrible five, were too large, too brutal, and too well equipped for the people to prevail.
These evil ones took every advantage of the supernatural powers they had at their disposal. They channeled into the energies of the dead and the connection of the power between the laws of nature, the power of the spirit, and the life force. When it fit their needs, they even twisted the gifts that were handed down from the gods for their own selfish purposes.
For this story, only one of the siblings, Hatari, needs introduction. While his sister and his brothers waged war in the northern regions of Madunia, Hatari remained at the region furthest south, often called The Forbidden Expanse.
At the northern border of the Forbidden Expanse lay the Kingdom of Ufalme. This was the last of the great Kingdom’s of Madunia that had yet to be conquered; the last that still stood strong. Hatari had laid claim to Ufalme and the Forbidden Expanse, and it was his job, among his siblings, to rule over those territories. Unfortunately for him, King Jumbe and his army of warriors had proved to be unconquerable, time and time again. In fact, Hatari’s dignity had taken so many blows from defeat that he no longer had any humans under his command. His army consisted entirely of ogres large, strong creatures that were not very intelligent, and thus were easily controlled.
This story is not about Hatari, actually. The Kingdom of Ufalme raised a boy who would change the fate of an empire and eventually the fate of the known world of Madunia, altogether. This is a story about that boy, named Bomani.
Now, don’t ask how I have come to know about any of the stories of The Ancient Lands, particularly this one. How I have come to know anything about this planet is quite a story in itself. Let’s just say that I am a modern day griot, but nowhere near a real griot, in the true sense of the word.
A real griot of The Ancient Lands would commit all history to memory, and would then tell the story as it was passed down to him from previous griots. I am more of a historian and archeologist.
To learn and understand a civilization is both my job and my passion. My only regret is that there are far too many stories in the universe or even in this one simple galaxy, for that matter, to learn them all. I study them, not only to entertain myself, but also to teach others. There are always great lessons to be learned. There are millions of stories about millions of things that have happened in a million different places in The Ancient Lands. This is one of them.