A Game of Chi Book I: A Crown of Blood

Chapter 27: Cragger V

CRAGGER

"Cragger?" The voice was hazy. "Cragger, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can." Cragger twitched his hand, and the one that was holding it quickly slipped out. "He's conscious!" Cragger slowly opened his eyes and saw a blurry black-and-white winged shape beckoning to a slender green one. "Your Grace!" Reegull exclaimed. "Cragger's awake!" Crooler ran to his side and grabbed his hand. Cragger felt a sharp pain in his left eye, but resisted the urge to rub it. "Cragger, I'm so glad you're alive!" Cragger could feel her hands trembling. "We feared the worst," she said. "My..." Cragger was struggling to speak. "My eye..." Crooler inhaled sharply and looked at Reegull. "Cragger, I'm afraid several pieces of stone and shrapnel hit your eye," he explained gravely. Not only did it damage the external tissue, but quite a bit of it seems to have entered your ocular cavity. I'm afraid..."

"What?" demanded Cragger, trying to sit up. "What is it?" Reegull sighed. "You'll never see from that eye again." Cragger sat up angrily and took in his surroundings. He was in the space behind the throne room which led into his and his sister's individual rooms; what Reegull was doing here he did not know. A makeshift bed had been made by moving the sofas, and there was no one else in the room. Reegull's right, thought Cragger, frustrated. His vision was uncomfortably different; his depth perception was completely off. Things he should have been able to see were now obscured, and people and objects were close and far at unfamiliar intervals. How can I protect Crooler like this? How can I even fight against Crokenburg's army? Then, Cragger remembered what he had been doing. "What happened with Crokenburg? Is the siege over? Did we win?" He felt like a fool asking these questions, but he had to know. Reegull was the one who answered. "Crokenburg is still attacking, sir," he answered in his soft voice. "You've only been out for half an hour. Now lie down again; I need to check if you have a concussion." Cragger brushed Reegull's hand away and turned towards Crooler. "Your Grace, should I go back out?" Crooler hesitated. "Crokenburg is still attacking, right? So shouldn't I go back out and fight?"

"You're not fit to fight, Cragger," she said finally. "You just survived an explosion, you're half-blind, and you may even have a concussion. You're not going back out there."

"Then who will lead our army?"

"Crumb," replied Reegull. "It is his job, after all." Cragger snorted despite the pain in his eye. "You think Crumb will protect the city? He couldn't protect his ass from his own tail." When no one answered, Cragger sighed in frustration. "Look, the more time we spend arguing, the more time Crokenburg has to destroy our city. Just let me go." When Crooler stepped aside, Reegull did the same, and Cragger had an empty path towards the door. Before he could start walking, Crooler put her hand on his shoulder. "You don't have anything to prove to me, you know," she whispered. "There's nothing I need to prove," Cragger answered curtly. "The only thing I need is to defend our city. Now let me do my job." Crooler moved, Cragger grabbed his Vengious from against the wall, gritted his teeth against the agony and walked out.

By the time Cragger reached the outside, the ground was covered in bodies. Most were crocodiles, and the others were ravens. Explosions were still sounding in the distance, and the scent of smoke and burnt flesh filled the air. Where are they? Where are Crokenburg's men? And what is he planning? Cragger made his way towards the centre of the city when he almost tripped over a familiar face. Crumb. Damn it. I didn't want to be right about him. Unsheathing his Vengious, he continued on until he found what was a battlefield. Numerous corpses were lying about, but one was still breathing. He ran towards the dark green and speckled crocodile who was slumped against a broken slab of stone. "Hey!" Cragger shook the crocodile. "Which ruler do you serve?" The crocodile opened his mouth to reveal numerous missing teeth. "You first," he spat. "Crooler," Cragger said immediately. "Not like it matters," Cragger added, eyeing the spear shaft in the other reptile's stomach. "True," he said. "But I serve Crokenburg." Good. "Tell me what he's planning," Cragger growled. The dying crocodile chuckled. "Why? What do I have to lose?"