#for chima | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

chimachapterbooks · 3 months ago

Text

Small Packages

There are many things in this world that can be measured the length of a day, the number of lions in a pride, the distance from one end of a valley to the other. And then there are those things that cannot be measured, no matter how hard one tries... the courage in an animal's heart, the cleverness of his brain, or the daring of his spirit. Only through experience can one learn the true amount of each of these in any living creature.

- King LaGravis

"Muskrats?" exclaimed Laval, the Lion Prince, in disbelief. "Moles? Hedgehogs?"

"Yes," said LaGravis, king of the Lions, to his son. "And beavers and rabbits and mice, as well."

Laval shook his head. "You want me to go talk to all the small creatures in Chima and ask for their help in fighting the Crocodiles? You have to be joking, Dad!"

"I'm the king," LaGravis reminded him. "Kings do not joke. Very rarely, we may laugh at something, but only very rarely."

"The Crocodiles and their allies attacked us!" Laval said angrily. "They want control of the CHI that it is our duty to guard and distribute. We need powerful friends among the tribes to help us in this fight, and you're suggesting moles and mice?"

"All of the tribes have their role to play," LaGravis replied. "They may not all be as strong as the Gorillas or soar as high as the Eagles, but that does not mean they have no worth. Laval, as the future leader of the Lion Tribe, am trusting you to talk with them. Ask if they will be our allies in this fight. Explain that we need their help to defend Chima."

Laval sighed. "Fine, Dad. I'll go talk to them. For Chima."

But later, as Laval went to get his Speedor, he was still frustrated.

"What matters now is strength and speed and power," he muttered to himself. "That's all the Crocs understand, and that's what we need in allies."

Laval respected his father more than anyone. But. sometimes his dad's thinking was a little ... old-fashioned It was great to say that everyone had the same value, big or small. But in a fight, Laval would vote for "big" friends every time.

He climbed aboard his Speedor and raced off into the jungle. There were a lot of mice and moles to find.

Speaking to all of them would take all day. Laval grumbled.

He had made plans to practice fighting with Eris and Rogon that afternoon. Now he wouldn't be back in time.

As Laval sped deeper into the jungle, he began to calm down. Driving fast always made it easier for him to think. Soon he was zipping through trees and bushes far from the Lion Compound. It's very quiet out here, Laval thought to himself.

Too quiet...

Suddenly, four Crocodiles on Speedorz roared out at him from both sides!

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of the Crocs snarled. "A Lion Prince deep in the jungle with no allies." Another Croc laughed. "How much CHI do you think a Lion Prince is worth?" he asked.

The first one revved his engine. "Let's take him to King Cragger and find out!"

Laval looked back and forth between the Crocodiles.

Escaping was going to be tricky, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. It looked like he would get some practice-fighting in today after all!

"Sorry, mud-lovers," he said as he shot forward. "I've already got plans!"

The Crocs snarled and gunned their engines. "You can't get away from us, Lion!"

Soon they were hot on Laval's trail.

Laval raced his Speedor under a low branch, kicking up a cloud of dust as he flew.

"Take that, Swamp Boys!" he cried, shooting around a corner and out of sight.

But the Crocs weren't giving up that easily. The lead Croc motioned to his partners, and they split up to the left and right. When Laval looked back, all he could see was the cloud of dust he had made.

"Now, where did those mud-lovers go?" he said. Just then, one of the Crocs tore out of the bushes and charged at him from the right. Laval whipped his Speedor around.

But another Croc was already blocking that path, too. The two other Crocs closed in from the front and back. Laval was boxed in!

"Looks like we've made a Lion-sized trap," the lead Croc laughed.

Laval quickly looked all around him. The Crocs had him cornered . .. but not captured just yet.

"Here's a lesson for you," Laval said with a grin. "When you make a trap, always check it for escape routes first." Gunning his engine, Laval sped toward a flat, angled rock just in front of the lead Croc... and zoomed up it like a ramp, right over the Croc's head!

"Woo-hoo!" he cried, zooming off.

The Crocs growled. Now they were really angry. "Get him!" their leader shouted.

They chased Laval farther and farther into the jungle.

Soon, the trees and plants began to thin out, and the ground grew dusty. Laval realized he had never taken his Speedor out this far before. And a moment later, he remembered why. Up ahead, stretching as far as they eye could see, was the border of the desert. It was nothing but sand and dust and rocks.

Uh-oh, thought Laval, screeching his Speedor to a halt.

This is very bad.

If he turned back, he would have to fight the four Crocs. But if he went forward into the desert, his vehicle would stop working. Like all Speedorz, the wheel was made from an ancient stone powered by nature. In the barren desert, where no green plants grew, the machine wouldn't last long.

Laval would be stranded.

Laval looked behind him. The Crocs were gaining. He knew he was a good fighter, but four-to-one odds were enough to make him think twice. So he revved his engine and headed into the desert.

The vehicle managed to make it only a short distance before it sputtered and died. "I'm a sitting duck out here,' Laval said to himself. "I have to hide."

The Lion Prince quickly pushed his Speedor over a large sand dune and out of sight. Luckily, the wind behind him blew fresh sand over his tracks, covering them. Laval peeked over the mound to the edge of the desert.

The Crocodiles had just stopped at the border. They couldn't see Laval hidden behind the sand dune, and their leader was angry.

"Ga! Where did that Lion go?" he asked.

The others shook their heads. "Must have headed into the desert, boss."

All four Crocs gulped. They didn't want their Speedorz to die out as well. But they also didn't want the Lion Prince to slip from their claws.

"Maybe we should wait him out," one suggested. "In this heat, he won't last long."

"Or maybe he went back into the jungle?" another said. "I don't see any tracks."

Laval didn't wait to hear any more. He quietly slipped away, still out of view of the Crocs. His best bet was to try and sneak past his enemies in a little while, when they started to get bored. If they got hungry, they might even head back to the swamp. "I need to find shade," Laval said to himself. "If I'm going to save my strength, I can't let the hot sun get to me."

Laval started walking south. After a while, he became tired and thirsty. He was about to sit down and take a rest when heard a very small voice from below say, "Hey, watch where you're sitting!"

Laval stopped and looked down. There was a little desert mouse waving a tiny fist at him.

"You big guys think you can do whatever you want!" said the mouse. "Well, this is my property, right here, not yours."

"This is your property?" Laval asked, surprised.

"Where?" Laval looked left and right, but all he could see was sand.

"From that pebble over there," the mouse said pointing to the north. Then he pointed south. "Then all the way to that sand dune down there."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Laval apologized.

"It's okay," said the mouse. "Hey, you're a long way from home, aren't you? There aren't any Lions in the desert."

Laval explained why he was there. "I won't be staying any longer than I have to, but I had better find water pretty soon."

"Stick with me," the mouse said with a smile. "I know all the best places. My name is Alonz, by the way."

Alonz scampered off, with Laval following. After a few minutes, they came to an outcropping of rocks that provided cool shade from the desert sun.

"Thanks," said Laval. "I'll need to stay here a while: and wait out the Crocs."

"That might be hard," said Alonz, pointing past Laval.

The Lion turned to see that the four Crocs had advanced into the desert and were heading in his direction, though they hadn't spotted him yet.

"Show yourself, Lion!" one of them called. "You can't hide out here forever!"

Laval looked back down at the little mouse. "You'd better find a place to hide," he said to Alonz. "There's going to be a fight, and I don't want you to get hurt. You're too small to stand up to Crocs."

"Ha!" said Alonz. "You don't have to be big to win a fight... and sometimes you don't even need to fight to win. Those Crocodiles are in my territory now. I'll show you how to handle them!"

Before Laval could stop him, the mouse darted off toward the Crocodiles. "Wait!" cried Laval. "I'm coming with you!"

"You'll just get in the way," the mouse yelled backe cheerfully.

"Stop!" Laval said, using a hand to block the mouse's; path. "You can't take on four Crocs by yourself! You're just a mouse!"

"This is my home." Alonz puffed out his chest. "I'm going to defend it. Besides, did you ever stop to think that maybe around here, you're 'just' a Lion?"

While Laval was thinking about that, the mouse raced away. When Alonz was about ten feet from the Crocodiles, he started jumping up and down and waving his arms.

"Hey, Crocs!" he yelled. "What's big and dumb and smells of swamp? You guys!"

One of the Crocodiles glanced at another. "It's a mouse," he said.

"No kidding," said the other Croc.

"Should I step on him?"

"Nah, just let him squeak. It's good for a laugh."

But the Crocs weren't laughing for long. Alonz ran around them, insulting their looks, their intelligence, and their body odor. After a while, the Crocs started to get annoyed. They chased after him, and Alonz took off as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Alonz was fast, but the Crocs' big legs covered more ground. They were about to catch him! Laval sprang out to help his new friend when, suddenly, the four Crocs sank into the sand up to their waists!

Alonz stopped running. He turned around and laughed.

"See, Laval? I told you. They might be bigger and stronger but they don't know the desert. I do, especially where the patches of soft sand are."

Laval walked up to the four Crocs, chuckling. "Looks like you've been beaten ... by a mouse."

The Crocs squirmed and glared at Laval. "We'll get you!" they snarled. "As soon as we get out of here."

Laval laughed. "I'd say the only thing you'll get is waist-deep in trouble when Cragger finds out about this."

All four Crocs gulped. They had wanted to please Cragger by capturing Laval. But the king wouldn't be happy to hear they'd been defeated by a mouse!

"So, this is what's going to happen," Laval continued,

"I'll help you out of that sand before you sink up to your snouts, and you'll go back to the swamp. In return, I won't tell your king about what happened here today. Deal?"

The Crocs grumbled a lot, but agreed.

With Alonz's help, Laval returned to the edge of the jungle and grabbed a long vine. He brought it back to where the Crocs were still stuck in the sand.

Then he tied the vine to one of the rocks and left it within reach of the Crocs. They would be able to use it to pull themselves out of the sand and make their way back to the swamp. But not before Laval and Alonz were long gone from the desert.

As the Crocs slowly pulled themselves free from the sand, Laval dragged his Speedor back to the edge of the jungle. Alonz went with him, perched on the seat. As soon as they were near the trees and plants, the engine roared to life. Startled, Alonz jumped onto Laval's shoulder.

"Why don't you come home with me?" Laval asked

“We could sure use your help defending the CHI against the Crocs. And I have to say I'm sorry to my dad—he was right about something, and I didn't see it until just now. I think he'd like to meet you."

"Will there be cheese?" asked Alonz.

"Probably," said Laval.

After a minute, Alonz said, "So, what do you have to apologize for?"

"Oh, I had this idea that only small things come in small packages," answered Laval. He smiled.

"Turns out I was wrong."

I tried putting a few of the photos together to make room for them. I tried not to do it for all of them to make it look a little nicer.

#Laval don’t insult hedgehogs you’ll piss off the ultimate life form #legends of chima #lego chima #chima #lego legends of chima #for chima #laval the lion #chima laval #lego chima laval #laval #lego #chima lagravis #lagravis the lion #lego chima lagravis #lego chima lions

27 notes · View notes

raisedlikeaphoenix · 1 year ago

Text

Raised like a Phoenix: Chapter 10 - Recharge

“You're sitting this one out.”

“What!?”

The sun was beginning to set, stars trickling the sky. The perfect time to take a giant bird as dark as night and a wolf as quiet as a shadow out to save their respective warriors.

But Cragger stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, refusing to let Laval leave their house.

“Remember that conversation we had about taking breaks? Well, I think you should start now.”

“But two of our friends are out there in the exact same place! Are you sure you can handle both of them? I still think I should come.” Laval tried to scootch out the door but Cragger scooted in his way.

“Nope. Go back to bed or something. Rest.”

“Come on-”

“Nope.

“Let me-”

“Nah.”

“Just-”

“Nada.”

They continued to play this game of keep away, soon smiling like dorks as they playfully fought. Just like old times.

“Heh, heh! Cragger! Come on!” Laval chuckled, attempting to worm around the crocodile.

Cragger stuck out his tongue. “Not today, fur boy. Between Li’Ella and I, we should be fine.”

“Actually, Li’Ella can’t come this time.”

The two turned to see Flinx, fiddling with a communicator in his hands.

“She has to help Tormak with… something. And wanted me to tell you guys. Those vulture guys messaged us too. Saying that the Hunters are in the junkyard looking for the next pair of firewings.”

The two looked at each other, then back at the phoenix.

“What kinda ‘something’?” Cragger asked, curious.

A nervous smile painted his face, as the firebird chuckled. “Well, it's sort of a surprise…”

“Huh. Well maybe you can help out Flinx!” Laval suggested.

“Wha- really?” Flinx shifted, clearly unsure of how to feel.

“Yeah! We can use a bird to rescue a bird! Come on!” Cragger said.

The little guy looked conflicted. Maybe he was scared of the Hunters. After all, if his father wasn’t here, it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.

But Flinx's eyes filled with rage and passion, grinning as he gave Cragger his answer. “Yeah! Let's get those frosted freaks!”

The three cheered, pumping their hands in the air.

“Alright then let's GO!” Laval ran out of the house when Cragger was distracted, much to his friends' surprise.

“Laval! Get back here and take a break!” Cragger yelled, chasing after the lion. Flinx followed after the two as the Laval maneuvered around people as they reached the lantern lit town square.

Squaks, roars, and yelps were heard as they ran through the streets. Many jumped out of the way of the running zombies, others almost dropping what they held in their hands.

Despite losing sight of him in the crowd, they heard Laval giggle the whole time as Cragger continued to yell at him to take a break.

“NEEEEVEERRRRR- AHH!”

Cragger thought the lion had tripped as he ran around the now annoyed town goers. When the two reached Laval however, they saw Spinlyn holding the lion, wrapped up in spider silk.

Like a little burrito.

The prince struggled in his restraints as the Spider Queen handed him off to Cragger.

“You're welcome.”

Cragger had placed Laval in his bed, still bound in spider silk but with the added weight of almost all the blankets and pillows in the house except the ones Gorzan was using. (The gorilla decided to stay the night as well, in a separate room. It really felt like Laval’s new home was turning into all their revived friends' new home.)

At first Laval had put on a pout that the croc had called cute (making him blush a little) and refused to sleep. He sat there in the dimly lit room, in the totally NOT cozy blankets, with the totally NOT cozy pillows, and waited for NOT sleep to come.

But as Laval snuggled deeper into the soft fabric of the plush pillows and blankets and as his eyelids grew heavier, he figured a small nap wouldn’t kill him. Again.

He wasn’t entirely sure how long he was asleep for. It was night time when he woke up so it wasn’t too long.

But it felt nice to just rest without having to worry about anything. He knew Cragger could handle getting Razar and Worriz back on his own. (Whether he had the patience to handle their attitudes was a different story.)

He sighed in contentment as he began drifting out of sleep after a while, simply enjoying the softness of the covers.

When he opened his eyes however, he was not expecting a certain bird to be staring at him. Or rather a certain raven-eagle hybrid to be exact.

Laval yelled as he struggled to get up, realizing a little too late that he was still bound in spider webs.

He fell off the bed in his panic, groaning in pain as he rolled on his back to look up at Reegull, who wore a black apron (covered in different colored goop), a dark green dress, and one high heel next to his peg leg.

The hybrid didn’t say hello. Rather he said, “Get up. I want to take you to my lab to study you before the eagles do.”

Ewald had asked Laval if he could come into the eagles' newly built lab for some test but understood that he still needed time to adjust to his new body on his own before he underwent any experiments.

Reegull apparently didn’t.

“How did you-”

“Pick your lock!”

At least he had the courtesy to cut Laval out of his spider silk bounds.

“Are the other two here?” He asked, looking around the room as if they were hidden away.

“Only Gorzan. Cragger went to get Razar and Worriz.” Laval got up off the floor.

“Alright then.” He took Laval’s wrist and walked over to the next room. Opening the door, they saw Gorzan sitting on the bed, flipping through a book about plants with his feet. (Good thing a gorilla’s feet are like a second pair of hands.)

Before he could say anything, Reegull said, “You are coming too.”

Gorzan looked at Laval’s unimpressed face then at Reegull’s eager one.

“Okay.” He spoke.

Reegull’s lab was quite similar to his old one. Just like all the other raven’s homes it was mostly made of scrap metal that was probably just stapled together.

But there were bits that didn't seem like something the alchemist would collect. Colorfully woven tapestries, comfy couches with blue and green color pallets, it all felt different… but familiar.

“So, you're not gonna cut us open, right dude?” Gorzan asked.

Reegull was pulling out some test tubes and needles, mumbling a distracted “Maybe.” Making Gorzan wince.

“He’s not gonna do anything we don’t want to Gorzan. Not on my watch.” Laval reassured him.

“Yes… but you must remember that in order for progress to be made, sacrifices are necessary. We all must give up something in order to get what we want…”

Laval couldn’t help but find truth in Reegull’s words. After all, he and his friends sacrificed themselves in order to save Chima! And they still failed. He couldn’t help but find the idea of trying it all over again extremely terrifying.

If they don’t succeed this time, will there be anything left of them to be revived? Will they all return to that cold, dreamless sleep?

And what if the Illumination succeeds, what will happen to them?

It felt like it didn’t matter. Win or lose, Laval and his friends are going to die either way.

“Alright then… First! A blood test…” Reegull said.

The hybrid would pull out many different contraptions and machinery, asking for samples and tests to do with the zombie-like warriors.

Some they would allow, like taking fur samples or letting Reegull look into their different colored eyes. But of course, they would draw the line at things such as cutting off limbs and seeing if they can be reattached or finding out if they can drink poison or acid.

“For the last time! You can’t CUT US OPEN TO SEE OUR BRAINS!”

“But surely it would have changed in the time you’ve been gone! Just let me make a small incision…”

“How can you make a small incision?! You're cutting open our heads?!” As Laval and Reegull argued, Gorzan sat on the couch and looked around the room.

I wonder if any of the gorilla dudes have tamed the pretty plants outside the village, they thought.

Catching up with his tribe after being revived felt like taking a breath of fresh air after drowning. They partied for quite a bit, chatting about how everyone was doing, and what Gorzan missed. It broke his heart to hear that they had lost a few members, but it felt pretty tubular to meet newer ones.

Maybe we can revive long gone dudes, but would they want to come back as chi zombies like us-

His train of thought was interrupted when his eyes locked with another pair. Another pair of eyes that didn’t belong to Laval or Reegull.

Hidden in the corner of the room there was a little raven girl with green eyes crouched behind a couple of boxes.

The two were locked in a silent staring contest, neither refusing to blink.

“Uh, dudes? Who's that?”

“Who?” Laval asked, as Reegull looked over to where Gorzan was gesturing to.

He groaned. “Ugh! Rubiz! I’ve told you! You must stay upstairs!” Reegull scooped up the raven child from her hiding place and began heading up stairs. Rubiz hanging from his hook by the hood of her vest.

Laval began to follow, and not wanting to be alone, Gorzan did the same.

“Is she your kid?” Laval questioned as they headed up the stairs.

“Nope.”

“Whose kid is that then?!”

“One of Dom’s” The hybrid said as he opened the door.

“IT'S THE WITCH!” A young eagle yelled as a young rhino threw a pillow at Reegull, nailing him right in the face. Laval and Gorzan chuckled.

“Oi! You kids better stop that!” Reegull scolded the two youngsters as they stuck their tongues at him.

“Boys please calm down.” A familiar voice said.

Laval gasped. “Is that-”

Don de la Woosh stood beside the door ushering the other children back to the play area in the center of the room.

Laval had to admit: the former speedor racer had seen better days.

Scars traced his face, many surrounding one of his eyes. Blinding it permanently. He wore a light blue silk robe, with yellow and red flower patterns stitched along the sleeves. As he walked, he had a slight limp, but he gave them a welcoming smile.

“The Whoosh?! What are you doing here?” Laval smiled back at the sight of his idol.

“Why, The Whoosh lives here!” He chuckled. “Someone has to look after all these little ones after all.”

“Well, a ‘little one’ decided they wanted to look at my stuff, Jewel.” Reegull raised the little raven girl up towards the peacock.

“Jewel?” Gorzan and Laval remarked.

“Oh, little Rubiz is just curious. Isn’t that, right?” The young raven nodded her head as she was handed off into Whoosh’s arms.

“Come, come. Why don’t the Whoosh make you some tea?” He led them through the play area.

It was painted blue with a large green and yellow circular carpet in the middle, children's toys and mini playgrounds set up for children from all sorts of tribes to play with. Many played with dolls, board games, or simply napped on some mini beds.

“Dude, do you watch over all these little dudes by yourself?” Gorzan asked, as they headed down the hall to a kitchen.

“Yes. Someone must look after the children after all. You know how dangerous the Outlands could be…” Whoosh said sadly.

Reegull scoffed, leaning against the wall as Laval and Gorzan sat down. The Whoosh put Rubiz in a highchair and handed her a cup of fruit to munch on.

“Okay, this is eating me up. Why is Reegull living in your basement? And why did he call you Jewel?” Laval interrogated the star racer.

The old birds gave each other a look, before bursting out laughing, much to the two's confusion. Rubiz kept munching on her fruit.

“Oh, Laval. Reegull is my husband.”

There was a moment of silence as Laval processed what his idol had just said.

“Oh! Congrats, you two!” Gorzan said, supportively, not missing a beat.

…

“WHAT!?”

The Whoosh and Reegull. THE WHOOSH AND REEGULL? WHAT? What? What?

“You…” Laval pointed to the Whoosh, who patted Rubiz on the head.

“And… you…” Reegull was grinning like a super villain as he gave Laval a small wave.

“I… wha… who… you… just…”

He turned to the Whoosh. “How…” He whispered.

The Whoosh chuckled. “We met after the war. I was fleeing for my life, gaining a few scars along the way.” Gesturing to his face. But he recalled the tale like it was nothing more than a pleasant dream. “I was having a hard time finding anyone in the Outlands, when my knight in silver feathers rescued me from the jaws of a mighty beast. And took me to the village.”

The peacock brought Reegull into a hug as the alchemist rolled his eyes.

“You say it like I was some hero… I didn’t even-”

“Oh, HUSH! You came to my rescue.” The Whoosh cupped Reegulls face and for a moment, it was only the two of them. In the moment.

“That’s all that matters, mi amor. That’s all it took for me to be with such a handsome devil.” The two practically touched beaks and if it weren’t for the feathers, Reegull’s face would be completely red. He waved his hand aside.

“Oh! Stop! I’m not that handsome.”

“Yes, you are. You're beautiful.”

The two continued to stay in their own little world for a bit, with The Whoosh swaying his husband side to side as if they were about to slow dance.

Gorzan grinned at the sight, Rubiz was too focused on her fruit bowl to care, and Laval watched the whole thing like he was watching someone drink expired milk. Or like he was watching his idol kiss someone who tried to turn Chima into chickens. Oh, wait! He WAS!

When the two were done, The Whoosh cleared his throat. “How about that tea?”

“I don’t get it.” Laval mumbled as he saw the two old gay birds bump each other playfully with their hips as they prepared the kid’s snacks. The sight made most of him sick to his stomach. But a small part of him couldn’t help but be a little jealous. Gorzan took a sip of his tea from a helpful straw.

“Whatcha mean, dude?”

“How can someone sooooo messed up, date and marry someone so cool?!” The two walked out of the room, playfully teasing each other as the lion whispered. It reminded Laval of Eris and Rogon, with all dumb flirting they did. (Thinking of those two made him wonder how Cragger was doing.)

Gorzan smiled kindly.

“Well, maybe he needs this. It’s like you and Cragger. You were there for him when he needed you. And it helped the dude realize how much of a bummer he was being.”

The idea of Cragger and him being like Reegull and The Whoosh made Laval feel like he had a tummy full of butterflies. If only it could be that way…

“Hmm. Gorzan, do you think Cragger likes me?”

Gorzan chuckled. “Of course, Dude!”

“But… likes-LIKES me?”

“Oh.” The gorilla blinked. He hadn’t talked to anyone about his feelings towards Cragger. He wanted to say something to the croc but it felt the moment he realized how he felt there was always something going on. Whether it be a war on ice zombies, bugs, or with the very crocodile he loved the moment he met up with him at the Forever Rock, on the night before they left for the Outlands.

“Well… have you asked?” Gorzan asked.

“No. Should I?”

“Of course, you should.” Reegull butted into their conversation, with Rubiz sitting on his shoulders.

“Hmm. And what do you know?” Laval demanded.

Reegull rolled his eyes as he leaned towards the lion.

“I know that Dom makes me the happiest bird alive. Every day with him, I treasure more than any raven will treasure a well-earned trinket. I study everything he loves more than an eagle will study the stars, because I want to make him happy. Asking him out was the greatest thing to happen to me. So, if I knew I only had so much time with my precious Jewel, I would make every moment worth more than gold.”

Laval was speechless.

But, as much as he hated to admit it, Reegull was right.

If he was going to die all over again, the time to make a move on Cragger was now. Or never. Laval nodded. “Okay, I think I will. He should be back pretty soon anyway so we should get going.” Laval drank the rest of his tea and stood up from the table, and immediately felt dizzy.

“Whoa…” He mumbled. Maybe he got up too fast? But why did he continue to feel like the room was spinning.

“You alright, dude?” Gorzan’s voice sounded so distant. Why did he… sound… so distant… What… was… happening…

“Your chi-” He heard Reegull say from miles away. His vision was beginning to blur as he tried to balance himself.

He felt so… weak.

So… tired…

So… cold…

The last thing he saw was the worried face of his friends as he fell to the floor.

Chapter 9 <- ⭐️ -> Chapter 11