#chima gorzan

“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.

"This is ridiculous!" he insisted to Gorzan. "Why, I'll bet I could sneak into your camp and take something, without any of you Gorillas ever knowing." Gorzan had just smiled. "Go ahead, brother. I'll put my favorite branch out in the middle of the compound. You try to take it, and if you can, we'll agree to any extra security you want."

Ewar had waited a few days before making his attempt, just to make sure the Gorillas guard would be down.

/ don't know why I bothered waiting, though, he said to himself. When is their guard not down?

Ewar flew straight toward the center of the compound. Just as he crossed the border, something grabbed him! It yanked him from the sky and flung him onto the dirt.

What grabbed me? Ewar thought, falntically. Was it a rope? A snake?

A Gorilla? Ewar scanned the trees, but all he saw were leaves and vines.

Hmmm, Ewar thought. That was strange. I must have snagged on a branch. I'll just keep to the ground and stay quiet for now.

Ewar crept toward the sleeping Gorillas. As long as he didn't make any noise, he was sure he could sneak in unnoticed.

Sploosh! A bucket of ice-cold water suddenly fell onto Ewar's head.

"Squawk!" he cried out. He immediately clamped a wing over his mouth.

Had he just given himself away to the Gorillas?

He stood perfectly still. A Few Gorillas snored, but none woke up.

Phew, thought Ewar. That was close. Now who threw water on me?

Again, Ewar looked up at the tree branches. But no one was there.

Well something is going on, Ewar said to himself. Maybe the Gorillas have a security system in place after all. It's time to try a new tactic.

Rather than enter the front way, Ewar decided he would go in from the back. He carefully tiptoed around to the rear of the Gorilla Compound.

Whump! Ewar tripped and landed flat on his beak! He shot back up and spun around. Sticking out of the ground was a gnarled tree root.

Ewar carefully stepped away from the tree root and started forward again.

Thump! He tripped again! He looked back and couldn't believe his eyes. A new root had sprung up in the middle of the path.

I don't know what's going on, but now I'm getting angry.

Ewar stood up and marched back to the front of the village.

Something grabbed me when I flew.Something tripped me when I walked. So now I'm going to run in, grab Gorzan's branch, and run back out. Nothing's going to stop me!

Ewar charged. But before he could even cross the border, tiny, stinging pebbles began pelting him from every side! He had to slow down to cover his eyes. The next thing he knew, a vine wrapped around his waist.

Sploosh! A second burst of freezing water splashed on his head.

"What in Chima is going on?" Ewar cried.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The pebbles dropped.

The vine loosened. And slowly, Ewar was lowered to the ground.

The Eagle took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Gorzan was standing over him, smiling.

"See?" said Gorzan. "We have all the protection we need."

"But I don't understand," Ewar sputtered. "You were all fast asleep. Who was attacking me?"

"It wasn't us, brother," Gorzan explained. "It was nature. We take care of the plants, and they take care of us. The lasso vine kept you from flying in. The bucket flower gave you a bath, the split-second roots tripped you, and the archer plant hit you with its seeds."

Ewar shook his head in amazement. "I wouldn't have believed it, but I'm convinced. You're right... you don't need any more protection. I don't even think a Wolf Pack could get in here. The next time I want to prove someone wrong, I think I'll sneak into someplace safer... like maybe a Crocodile's mouth!"