A Game of Chi Book III: A Sword of Dust

Chapter 28: Laval IV

LAVAL

The beavers cheered as their greatest achievement was praised, but Laval was still in shock over this revelation. "Over time, we lost our ice magic, and we decided that our hand in the Barrier's creation posed too many questions, so we receded into the Sanctuary Forest. In time, the Barrier's creation became part of the Cavoran legend, and only the Gorilla Tribe is aware we still exist. However, once we lost our magic and stopped visiting the Barrier, the incantations which forever banished the Ancient Tribes from getting south began to weaken. We began to hear rumors of creatures from the north, creatures who resembled our fallen foes. Undead beasts reanimated by the power of ice. The Ice Hunters." A wave of murmurs descended upon the beavers, and when Laval heard Breezor's words, he knew in his heart that the horrifyingly cold monsters he had seen were indeed Ice Hunters. "We've long feared that they would find a way to get through the Barrier and finish what they started," Breezor finished. "And Laval, your vision has shown us that the day it happens may be closer than we think. Why or how you connected with those other people, I don't know. But what I do know is that their threat is much more real than we thought."

"How can we stop them?" Laval asked. "You said that they were undead. Can they be killed?"

"They can only be destroyed by fire," Grumlo answered. Clearly, this was not the first time he had heard this tale. "If you guys knew about this, why didn't you warn anyone else?" Laval demanded. "This is serious!" Glorya scoffed. "Who'd believe them?" she asked back. "I'm hearing this for the first time too, and I only believe it because the beavers themselves said it. But who'd believe the word of monkeys like us?" Laval grimaced, but he had no response, as he knew it to be true. I wouldn't believe that Ice Hunters existed if I hadn't had a vision, he admitted. Hell, even if Breezor told me this, I probably wouldn't believe him either. Glorya has a point.

"So the Pack knows they exist?" Laval inquired further. "I remember their envoy, a skunk, coming to the Citadel to ask King Crominus for help every so often, although he was always ignored. They must be preparing for this, right?" Breezor shrugged. "I don't know," he responded. "It's possible they just want to defend Chima from the bears. However, the Pack alone stands no chance against them. Even though fire is their weakness, the Ice Hunters bring the cold with them anywhere they go. Regular fires cannot be sustained for long against them."

"Then how do we kill them?" Glorya demanded. "A special kind of fire can burn even in the coldest of nights." Grumlo was the one who had answered. "Since we have coexisted with the Beaver Tribe for centuries, we gorillas have always understood this. The fire of the Phoenix Tribe is what we need. We learned how to access a spiritual plane that the phoenixes once used as well; it's what we meditate through on the Silent Island. We knew that one day, a phoenix would return, and its fire would save us all." This was too much for Laval to take in at once. A living phoenix? he wondered. But I thought Father and Crominus got rid of them all. "Whoever this phoenix is," Laval began, "they're not here right now. So what can we do to stop the Ice Hunters?" Grumlo and Breezor exchanged a glance. "I suppose uniting Chima would be the first step," the old gorilla answered. "The phoenix alone can't do much, but if everyone joined forces, they could give the Gift of Fire and it would be enough to fight back." I didn't even consider that, Laval thought. I know some lions had the Gift of Fire, since King Loras bowed to Fluminox I immediately and was then rewarded for his loyalty — cowardice, if you ask me. Still, Laval recalled his many lessons about the Last Lion King, and how in time, his surrender came to be recognized as a noble and intelligent act. But an entire army with the Gift of Fire would be insanely powerful, especially if their enemies were made of ice. Laval thought about Grumlo's answer for some time, ignoring the other questions that Glorya was asking Breezor. Then, he came to a decision.