The Legends Of Chima: Journey to the Lands Below

Chapter 5-Laval

Chapter 5

When we got up to leave the markets, the place somehow got even more crowded, and the cages were empty. I guess they broke out and everyone was so bothered with the celebrations that nobody noticed. Time had flown by when I was talking to him.

Since we had to go to the outlands we needed a vehicle, and a strong one. Only problem was that thousands of people were blocking the garage so we had to take my speedor. Even with the added speed of a vehicle it would still take awhile to get there, which gave us some time to talk.

"So you said we're going to the outlands to meat Skinnet?" Cragger asked

"Yeah, Grumlo said he could tell us more about the lands below" I replied

"Wow, first time I've ever heard of someone voluntarily going to him." Cragger joked, I chuckled.

"kinda makes sense to tell Skinnet more than anyone else. Since everyone always avoids him, it'd be hard for any info about that place to get around." I offered as an explanation as to why we're meeting him. " 'Wonder what's down there made us come up here and never speak of that place?"

"Well What to you think is down there?" Cragger asked.

"I don't know, I can only hope we won't be the only people there. I'd be awful lonely if we're all that's left." I replied

"Eh, I'm sure there's others down there. We just have to look for them." Cragger said reassuringly.

We finally arrived at the meeting spot after awhile of driving and idle chatter and there was Skinnet, looking a little pissed.

"There you are Laval! I've been waiting for you for hours and the outlands isn't exactly an ideal place to be at night." He angrily said.

"Yeah sorry bout that, I've only ever been here once so I don't really know my way around, also I kinda lost track of time." I said apologetically.

"Yeah it's no problem, but why'd you bring Cragger? This is kinda really secret stuff that not a lot of people know about and your dad doesn't really want to get out." he said cautiously.

"It's ok, he knows about the below world too, so does everyone else who was on Cavora. Besides, Grumlo said that a lot of people know about, basically everyone around the age of my dad." I said in Cragger's defense.

"Well ain't that why you're here. Now let's get down to business, you two take turns asking questions until I tell you everything I know, Val goes first. Let's walk and talk, I wanna take you to the edge." He said while moving away, we dismounted and followed him.

"Alright, why did we leave the below world and stay up here?" I asked.

"A couple hundred thousand years ago, some aliens invaded the planet and destroyed everything except this rock called Cavora. Your father thought It safer to live up here and start over than live in the rubble of the old cities. People started thinking the same and followed him up here. Including the ice hunters." Skinnet explained.

"Alright my turn." Cragger said. "Is there anyone else down there now?"

"Yeah, a lot of people actually. Most of them are in this city with some weird name, I think Grumlo said it's run by some distant branch of your family, Laval."

"Wait I have a cousin down there? Family?!" I exclaimed in disbelief. "Why would my father keep this a secret?"

"A long time ago one of your first grandfathers had two sons, one inherited the empire and continued the family line and you come from and the other started that city I was talking about."

"Do I have any royal family members down there like Laval?" Cragger asked

"I don't know. I imagine you would since the lion, eagle, and croc tribes were closely linked  back then and the three regularly switched between who was head of power." Skinnet said

"What do you mean by empire? What exactly is that?" I asked

"Well an empire is a large amount of land controlled by the person controlling the empire, usually taken forcefully. Your ancestors empire was started when some forest spirit or something died and your grandfather happened to be in its good graces and he was gifted it's power. He conquered a good portion of the planet with its power and his son, also named Laval, grabbed up the rest of the planet and one of our moons." He explained to me. "This is all here-say though, I could be over or under exaggerating so don't take all that literally."

I was a little confused. Forest spirits? One of our moons being habitable? I know I've seen more farfetched but I was still skeptic. Regardless I wanted to learn more, to get down there and find out more about this empire. But maybe I don't have to go down there at all to learn more, I bet that marble room has more answers, I have to get back in there.

Cragger spoke up to ask his question "Speaking of this empire, it sounds like it was really powerful, so how did it all collapse? Also you said that crocs were royalty too, so is there a way I can get in on this power too?"

"From what I heard it was really powerful, as for it collapsing, probably has something to do with that alien invasion. As for the piece of the power you want, off the top of my head two ways you can get it are either get to the throne before Laval and Eris, or marry one of the two depending on who gets there first." Skinnet explained

Cragger looked over at me when Skinnet mentioned us marrying. He kinda blushed and had a soft, dreamy look in his eyes, I definitely knew what he was thinking but should I say how I was feeling. I was to caught up in my thoughts to notice Cragger's turn was done and it was mine.

"Anything else, Laval?" Skinnet asked.

"No, not right now." I answered.

"Good, because we're here. Soak it all in." He said as we arrived at the edge of Chima, or Cavora as he calls it.

As we peered over the edge I saw the below lands, Chima, at night. When I saw it on Mt. Cavora it was day time so it all looked like ruins, crumbling cities and hastily constructed slums. But at night I could see what was really below the surface. Those abandoned cities were still full of life and the lights were still on, those ruins were reconstructed fortresses for some unknown military power. I was taken away by the beauty, the full moon backlighting the towering mountains in the distance that certainly stood taller than the peak of Mt. Cavora.

"One more question, Skinnet." I said while still hypnotized by the landscapes before me

"Yeah?" He answered

"How do I get down there?" I asked, still entranced

"We'll the beavers like to build stuff, and the eagles have an abundance of aircraft, I'm sure you could find a way." He answered

"Cragger, we have to tell Eris about this." I told him.

"Agreed, but in the morning though, let's go back home."