The Realm Hero Chronicles: Round 2

Chapter 28: The Secrets in Plain Sight

Special thanks to @JohannahTheDragoness for supporting the last few chapters. This one's for you! 

The distinctive cry for peace echoed across the arena. The crowd hushed in fear, gasping as a few weak-kneed tribe members fainted from shock. Lagravis also froze at the familiar voice, quickly averting his eyes to the top of the steps.

Because that couldn't be, could it?

That fiery red mane, that radiant white funeral attire seen in Tucci's photograph, those golden eyes that locked onto him (with sorrow briefly flashing through them), and the authority in that young voice.......that couldn't be Laval standing there.

"I thought he was dead," Crawley hissed from nearby.

"Maybe it's his ghost coming back for revenge," Crug spoke up.

At this, the crowd trembled further because despite the Realm Heroes having 1.5 (Cole recently lost his ghost powers) specters, they still frightened even the toughest warriors of Chima. And if they thought that Laval's phantasm was coming back for revenge, well, there was every reason to be apprehensive.

Lagravis rose and dropped the knife on the ground, keeping his focus on Laval. If this was his son's ghost, Lagravis wanted to do everything he could to comfort the phantom. Like a ghostbuster, as Laval would've bluntly and slightly insensitively put it.

But maybe that wasn't the case, as Cragger appeared to be counseling his son. Even going so far as to put a claw on Laval's shoulder and pointing at him.

Golden eyes met golden eyes again. Lagravis blinked into them, trying to see the brave and hopeful Lion Prince he knew through the thickly built walls of pain and deep in a pit of anguish. The courageous soul deep inside trapped beneath waves of grief and wounds running thick with scarlet rivers.

"L-Laval?" Lagravis called. "Is that you?" 'What have you done with my little Lion cub? If it is you, Laval, why have you buried yourself so far down and so deep?'
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Laval knew he was screwed the second he punched into the Lion Temple that morning when he saw Lennox and Leonidas waiting for him. Judging by their stern expressions, Laval knew they meant business. "I know I'm dead," he sighed.

This got Leonidas to chuckle lightly. "I'm sure your father will see to it that you don't lose your head."

Lennox sharply elbowed his fellow guard in the ribs, making the bright orange-maned Lion wince and grunt in pain. "Upstairs with you, Laval. The pride council have mercy on your soul."

Laval exhaled as he plodded upstairs. He should know that this was coming. One didn't just break the rules and get away with it. Laval knew that with some of the pettier rules he'd broken. This one was the big one, the thou-shalt-not-break-this-rule-under-point-of-death, and Laval had broken it.

When he reached the throne room, Laval swallowed nervously. This room had never intimidated him before (in fact, Laval could recall standing in this room and practicing his roars for the echo). Yet now, as he was walking toward what felt like his death sentence, it scared him.

"It's only the pride council," he told himself. "No sweat." He stepped forward, shifting his gaze from the Sacred Pool to the pride council by the throne. Laval dared not look them in the eyes as he paused in front of the throne platform, knowing what he saw in them.

"Laval." His father's low growl forced Laval to lift his gaze. Hurt and anger swirled inside those golden eyes where Laval usually saw stern and soft (probably left over from their encounter on the road the night before). "Do you have any idea what you've done?"