Background

Unknow to Alexis and Victor, Scaly had been come from a long lost lineage of ancient pangolins born with mystical and magical powers. Long before the Republic of Sangkelila was found, on the planet of Thera, there existed many mystical and magical creatures. Scaly came from the Shujaa clan entrusted with the protection of the Royalties in the Kingdom of Sangkelila. They kept the balance of power between good and evil. However, the evil Arokin (Uncle), Kilababa – of the Emperor of Kingdom of Sangkelila, with the help of the dark magic from the Dark Lord, led a revolt and usurped the throne. The Pangolin Security Forces created by the Shujaa Clan was dismantled by decree of the newly coronated Emperor Kalibaba. The Shujaa clan was forced to enter into exile to the planet of Otlup together with the Emperor and his family. From then on the Shujaa clan and it’s descendants ceased to be the Defenders of the Kingdom of Sangekelila.

Kilababa appointed himself of the Emperor of Sangkelila. Any opponents who objected to his appointment was immediately silenced and fed to the Soul Snatchers. The days of the Sangkees under Kilababa were full of hardships and oppression. The Sangkees were not given enough rations, there was a bag of rice and a bag of beans each month to sustain the whole family. Meat had to be hunted in the Sangkelila Forrest where different wild creatures lived.

The Sangkees in the olden days moved in groups of three – one Archer, one Slinger and one Swordsman. Each played a vital role. The Archer would fire the first shot to wound or kill the creature. The Slinger would knock out the creature with small but powerful anesthetic powder bombs obtained from the rich abundant poppy foliage growing in the Sangkelilah Forrest. The Swordsman would seize the moment when the creature was shocked and cut its body and let its blood flow to create further shock for the enemy. When there was a kill, the Sangkees would call for a celebration and share the meat with all in the village.

Not all creatures in Sangkelila Forrest were bad. Some were benevolent and had healing powers. They brought about balance between the forces of good and evil in the Forrest. However, after Kalibaba became Emperor he allowed the Dark Lord to introduce more powerful and evil creatures in the Forrest. In fact, the Dark Lord used a part of the Forrest as a breeding ground for his army of Soul Snatchers.

Scaly and his friends would often go to the Forrest to eat and play. There they could find all sorts and types of ants for them to feast on. Some of these ants should travel up trees to reach bee hives where there was honey. An army of thousands ants could transport enough honey for Queen Ant to feed on for the entire Winter season. The Queen Ant was a creature of high intelligence capable of communicating with the pangolins in the Forrest. In fact, many of Scaly’s friends were conscripted from the Forrest to join the Pangolin Security Force in the Emperor’s Palace. The Queen Ant would often produce special batches of eggs that hatch into extra nutritious ants to feed Scaly and her friends. “The eggs are hatching today. You can bring your friends to location 9347 (coordinates are 1.3521° N, 103.8198° E) and feast on my babies. You can wait till they have reached 2 full moons of age when they are more nutritious. It’s up to you, Scaly,” said the Queen Ant sending a message to Scaly.

The Shunjaa Clan primary contribution to the Imperial Court of Sangkelila (before it became a Republic) was the formation of the Pangolin Security Forces (PSF). There was a time during the Dark Ages of Sangkelila that the old Emperor was held captive in his own Palace by evil mind controlling creatures. The Chief of Security, Armatus, at the Imperial Palace came from a pangolin pedigree lineage. Their higher intelligence was a match to counter the Soul Snatchers created by the Dark Lord. He saw what was happening and quickly enlisted the help of his uncle, the Thousand Years old Master Pangolin, known as Mzee Kamba, who had gone to live in seclusion in the Forrest. “I have been observing the young ones. This Year on the night of the SuperMoon when the moonlight is at its brightest, I will transfer a portion of my energy and wisdom to this young pangolin. His name is Scaly, he will join you to throw out the Soul Snatchers in the Imperial Court and free the Emperor,” said the Thousand Years old Master Pangolin to Armatus. Thus on the night of the SuperMoon Armatus arrived at the Forrest. There he witnessed the creation and ordination of his young protege, Scaly. There was a pedestal block of stone next to where Mzee Kamba lived in seclusion. On this SuperMoon night the pangolins in the Forrest were gathered around the pedestal stone block to witness the ceremony. Scaly was dressed up in ceremonial robes for the occasion looked around him curiously, as it seated and waited for the ceremony to begin. She had no parents. They were killed by the Soul Snatchers when they were gathering herbs in the Forrest. Fortunately, she was rescued by Mzee Kamba and his troops of which were in the vicinity protecting the Forrest from further decimation and bombardment by the Dark Lord forces. The Dark Lord and its Soul Snatchers had used an unexplored and unmapped part of the Forrest as a hidden hive to prepare for its attack on Sangkelilah. The benevolent creatures in this part of the Forrest had been captured and executed by the Dark Lord’s Soul Snatchers.