A Game of Chi Book I: A Crown of Blood

Chapter 20: Laval IV

LAVAL

Laval was running from a raven vendor in the Citadel's marketplace. "Get back here, lion!" the raven shouted. Almost completely unrecognizable with his short, messy mane and tattered clothes, Laval no longer commanded respect as the youngest son of the Lion Lord. Granted, in his current situation, being identified as Lagravis' son would have been worse than his current predicament. He had stolen a loaf of bread from the raven, and now, he was sprinting away from the angry bird. "Get back here!" The market stalls were too close together for the raven to spread his wings, so the black bird had to chase him on foot. Smaller, younger and more fit, Laval quickly wove in and around the stalls until the raven was no longer in sight. Running into an alley, Laval stood with his back to a wall and caught his breath. I've been out here a day and a night already, he thought. After quickly looking around, Laval scarfed down the bread. It was hard on the outside, but the inside was cooked to perfection. It's not like the meat I had in the castle, Laval thought ruefully. But I'm not in the castle now. I'd better find a place to sleep tonight. Laval emerged from the alleyway and walked towards the rest of the city. Maybe I'll find somewhere to sleep in the slums.

While the royal family lived in extravagance in the Citadel's castle, the rest of the city was mostly markets and slums. Laval was headed towards the latter. He made his way through the bustling city, pushing through crowds of animals. He glimpsed mostly ravens and crocodiles, with the odd lion or eagle in the mix as well. He passed by the large golden phoenix statue in the city square before heading west into the houses. The slums of the Citadel were crowded, dirty places, with houses made of brick and mud piled on top of each other. There were orphans and beggars in the streets, and garbage everywhere. The way I look, I fit in perfectly here, Laval thought. He walked towards a little alleyway to sit down. The sun was getting higher and higher in the sky. Laval knew he had to get out of the Citadel, but he had no idea where to go or what happened. He knew he needed to find a familiar face, but the veritable sea of people before him were all strangers.

As he turned into the alley, he saw a crocodile and a rhinoceros before him, each big and burly. Laval backed up into a raven with black and purple feathers. "Where do you think you're going, lion?" asked the crocodile. "Back out there?" Laval said hopefully. "Nice try," laughed the rhinoceros. "Now give us everything you have." The raven spread his wings to block Laval's exit. "Now." The rhinoceros reached for his arm, but Laval pulled it away, quick as a snake. Speed, he thought. The rhinoceros stumbled, and the crocodile laughed. "Idiot," he said. The crocodile lunged for Laval, but he darted under the reptile's arms, causing him to crash into the raven. "What's wrong with you?" demanded the rhinoceros. "He's just a little lion. Get him!" Laval ran down the alley, the three animals bearing down upon him. Above him, on the building to his right, he saw a little bit of brick jutting out of the wall, with a window just above it. On the left building's wall, a similar outcropping was sticking out as well. Here goes nothing, Laval thought. He ran towards one wall and used it as propulsion, leaping to the first outcropping. Straining his muscles, he pulled himself up to the ledge and leapt towards the next one. He could see the roof of the first building to his right, and the width of the gap wasn't too wide. He jumped over it in a single bound and landed on the next building. He looked down and saw the three thugs looking at him. "Come on," said the crocodile. "He's not worth it." The rhinoceros, his pride bruised, shook his head. "Let's get him," he said. The raven flew up through the gap, so Laval began running on the rooftop. Once he reached the end of the building, he saw that the gap was much wider than the previous one. I might not be able to make this jump, Laval thought. Still, the raven was bearing down on him, so Laval sprinted to the edge and leapt. For a moment, he felt as though he was stationary on the ground, but then, the adjacent building's roof was in front of him. Got it! His hands reached out and grabbed the ledge, pulling himself up. However, this roof was extremely sloped. Laval lost his footing and nearly fell backwards. A fall from here wouldn't kill me, he thought, but those guys probably will. Laval remembered Gunter's fifth and ultimately final lesson: balance. Laval pushed his upper body forward, throwing his centre of gravity towards the roof. Landing on his stomach, he crawled upwards until he reached the top of the house. The raven was already there. "Get back down there so my friends can meet you," he croaked. Laval punched him in the beak, knocking him down, before running down the slope. There was a much lower building next to it, and Laval simply jumped down. He looked around for the crocodile and the rhinoceros, and when they were nowhere in sight, he leapt down onto the street. The small building he had been on was a bakery, and the eagle in the window gave him a strange look. It's warm inside, Laval thought. Maybe I should ask to stay in there. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He whipped around and was punched in the face by the raven. "That's payback," he said. The crocodile and rhinoceros joined the raven and began to kick Laval on the ground. Then, the bells began to toll. "The village square!" Laval heard someone call out. "There's something happening there! I can see it!" As more and more animals emerged from the city, the thugs backed off. "Remember us," shouted the rhinoceros. "We'll be back for you." Struggling to his feet, Laval joined the crowd in heading towards the golden phoenix statue in the centre of the city. What could the people have been summoned for? His eye had been bruised and his breath was short, but Laval kept on walking until he could see the statue. Up ahead, a large wooden podium of sorts had been placed to the east of the statue, between it and the Citadel's castle. There was a wooden chopping block in its centre, and familiar faces were gathered on the wood. I know what this is, he realized. This is an execution.