I thought I knew him well, after spending my entire childhood alongside him, but now, he stabbed me through the back. No… It can’t be—
This can’t be him… He would never do something like this. Or so I thought – he has shoved me aside and stolen the Golden Chi from my grasp.
The furious crocodile stands tall, exuding resentment through every fiber of his body, from the tense muscles to the frowning eyebrows. The shadows projected onto him by hundreds of green leaves seem to discolor his vibrant scales. They form delicate petals that flutter at the wind’s command; a force so fierce enough to sway his intimidatingly torn cape.
As I lean onto a nearby tree and regain my posture, I can’t help but ruminate on emotion-driven doubts lingering in mind… How could someone hurt their childhood friend? This doesn’t make sense! We haven’t seen each other in years, but there is no way he would do something like this out of the blue. I’m certain that he is innocent – not because we were childhood friends, but because he was one of the kindest animals I have ever met.
I don’t know who hurt him, the criminal who slaughtered his child-like innocence, and worse… I can’t stop worrying about what he did to my friend’s eye. It was once brimming with emotion and life, but now the only remains I see is a lifeless pearl that can’t shine anymore. It was slashed with so much hatred that wrath was buried underneath its scar, which ran from his left eyebrow down to the jaw.
“Cragger… look, it’s been quite some time since we last met, right? We can talk it out, solve this problem and… Maybe make things clear?”, I mumble whilst my arm trembles as I try to reach out to him, “I need to know what happened. Why did you do this?”
The struggle Chima had with the Wolf Tribe put everyone under stress, and that made the demand for Chi more intense than ever. Each tribe became more wary of one another…
“I know that the conspiracies surrounding you are false. You didn’t know that Wilhurt was there. We fell into an ambush… nothing that happened during this was your fault!”
They made him expect forgiveness for something out of his control. They thought that my friend caused the incident, that he was responsible for everything that happened to me.
I am not like that, and I will do anything to prove this.
One slow step at a time, I expose myself, opening my arms, at risk of any attack.
We’re at the Forever Rock. Cragger and I would play here almost everyday, and yet this is where I first see him in five years… five years since he was attacked, right here.
I glance at the old, discolored blood stains that mark the dry dirt beneath our toes. Although we are surrounded by bountiful grass and near a stunning crystal-clear lake, it is impossible to distract ourselves, with the miracle of nature, from the unnecessary trauma and misunderstandings.
The crocodile backs away, his claws clutching onto the shiny, gold crystal Chi, and on the other hand, his double sided sword. A long shadow, projected by his body blocking off the sunlight, occludes the Forever Rock, gatekeeping our lovely days behind grudges.
His single eye twitches, trying to pay attention both to the crystal in his grasp and me. His nostrils flare, he clenches his big, impressive crocodilian teeth.
“Laval… Don’t- don’t come closer, don’t even think about reaching me. This might be the end of us.” He warns me, slowly pointing his sword at my direction, “We shouldn’t have met each other…”
His body begins to give up on him, weighing him down on his legs, but he resists his weakness and maintains balance.
His pupil constricts, “No. I shouldn’t have met you, disgraceful lion! Ever since we became friends, your tribe has changed my life for the worst.”, he kicks the ground in frustration.
To my dismay, Cragger stabs the soil multiple times. Not just once, but twice, thrice— I can’t count how many times he shoved his weapon deep into the ground, but he repeats this brute movement with exceeding passion.
The sword is thrown downwards, and, finally, gets stuck in between dirt’s crevice. Cragger grabs the handle that’s sticking out like a sore thumb. He wiggles the object in despair.
I can’t stand up, but I slowly approach my friend, wobbling short hops with my right foot.
“I… understand it now. It’s all politics— my childhood was just a tool. Like my status as prince.”
I couldn’t even reach him…!
No… no, no! Where did I go wrong— what didn’t I do right? If my words were unable to reach him, then what am I supposed to do now?
He collapses onto the floor, sobbing from between his fangs, pleading for help. Tears flood from his right eye and rain on top of the dead, soulless ground, although it’s not those crocodile tears that they have been mocking ever since the incident. These are the purest of waters, able to revive even the driest of land. Even if it means to add salt to injury.
I try my best to convince him to let go of the Chi. He’s still too young to use it. No one his age should ever need to become stronger; a chemical this powerful will only bring harm.
He gazes at the orb surrounded by his fingers. One misstep and it will ruin our lives. Without his sword, the only way to hurt us would be—
“You foul lions never stop telling me what to do!… My childhood’s blood spilt on this very soil and you scums call it a ‘sense of justice’!”
I rush to Cragger as fast as I can, with all of the strength I can muster from my legs. My lack of coordination makes me trip. He, before my eyes, propels himself, and, without giving me time to even react, bashes his head onto me.
A blunt pain spreads throughout my entire chest, almost constricting my lungs, or so what it feels like, unabeling me to breathe properly. The grass flies towards me and barely softens my fall, but the aching on my back and gut now become one and the same as a sickening and paralyzing numbness.
Within my desperate and shallow panting, I’m able to hear Cragger’s voice, but I can’t understand what he’s talking about.
My eyes keep closing while I try to stay awake. I can’t breathe nor see properly… the only thing I feel is someone grabbing me and-
Is that water entering my lungs?
I failed.
This is our story; of Laval, the prince of the Lions, and my friends, overcoming obstacles of misery and tragedy. A story of friendship, but also war, destruction, selfishness, and, amidst it all, a sprinkle of hope and kindness that made everything here possible. A prince who overcame violence without picking up a sword. And, before that, it started right at our childhood.
These are… the Legends of Chima.
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