DARKNESS IN CHIMA
Part Two: The Shoring of the Sides
Chapter IV
"Shouldn't we be mounting a counterattack?" Laterus asked Laval in the Lion Temple briefing room.
Laval rolled his eyes. "I've told you, we can't find the Crawlers' lair. They're too deep in the Outlands for the eagles to see from the Spire, and it's dangerous to just wander out there looking for them."
"Great," Laterus huffed. "What do we do, then?"
"The same thing we always do in situations like this: go out and check on all the tribes. We're also giving them instructions to increase patrols in and around their territories."
Shortly after Laval's conversation with Laterus, Li'ella arrived at the palace. Even though they had been officially a couple for a few months, Laval couldn't help but get butterflies every time he saw her.
"Hi, Li'ella," Laval greeted the lioness by nuzzling her cheek.
"Hey, Laval," Li'ella returned his greeting with a smile. "I think I saw Eris headed into the city as I came in."
"Oh, good," Laval replied. "My father and the Guardians are on their way; they should be here any minute."
"I can't wait to meet these Guardians. I heard the Crawlers who were raiding the crocs turned tail and ran off at the sight of one of them."
Just then, the Guardians walked into the briefing room.
"Incapacitating entire squads of warriors without touching them is a good way to intimidate your enemies," Mack said, somehow making the feat sound like a matter of modesty.
Li'ella snorted. "And your allies. Since the battle in the swamps, it's been the talk of the city."
Mack's response to the comment was hard to read—somewhere between bashful and satisfied.
Lagravis arrived next, followed by Eris. After Li'ella and Eris were thoroughly introduced to the Guardians, Lagravis got down to business.
"Here's the plan," the lion elder began. "Laval, Li'ella, Laterus, and Eris, along with half of the Guardians, will make the rounds and check on our allied tribes. This is routine whenever one of the tribes is attacked—unfortunately, that is a frequent event lately."
(Lagravis explained the latter part for the benefit of the Guardians, who were unfamiliar with the protocol.)
"As for the other half; Eris, you brought with you some intel from the Spire?"
Eris nodded. "I did. From Eagle Spire, we can see almost the entire continent. From what we've observed, it appears that the Spider Tribe has separated from the other Outland Tribes and spun up a new village just inside the Outlands beyond the outskirts of Chima."
"If the spiders have broken off from the scorpions and bats," Lagravis continued, "they might be prepared to officially turn on them and consider an alliance with us."
"Turning on the other Crawlers is one thing," Laval said, "but do you think they would really join us?"
"I think the possibility is worth exploring," Lagravis replied. "Even if they do not join in fighting the other Outlanders, it is worth reaching out to them if only to learn the location of the Crawlers' territory so that we might be able to prevent more of these attacks in the future.
"Mack, I would like you to take the other half of your Guardians and speak with the spiders. Eris will give you the location."
"With no offense to our new friends," Laterus cut in before Mack could respond, "shouldn't we send a lion delegate to the spiders?"
"Soon, hopefully," Lagravis replied. "But for now, a lion showing up uninvited may be seen as a hostile action since we have clashed in the past. A new face has a better chance of a peaceful impression."
"And," Pete added, "Mack can be very inspirational."
Mack offered a smile as thanks for Pete's comment. It was always refreshing for Mack to hear that his leadership had an inspiring effect on the team.
Laterus still wasn't quite convinced, but he relented.
"Well, Mack, will you do it?" Lagravis asked.
Mack's reply was simple. "Show me where to go."
It was decided that Mack would take Kasey, Pete, Jay, and Morro to negotiate with the spiders, while Lloyd, Zee, Cole, Kai, and Nya would accompany Laval, Li'ella, Laterus, and Eris in visiting the many tribes of Chima (excluding the crocodiles since there was still a lion presence helping the cleanup there, as well as the eagles, from whom Eris brought a report of all clear).
The two groups left immediately, one group heading to the territory of the Gorilla Tribe and the other setting out to the Outlands.
The first group arrived shortly at the gorillas' territory in the jungle and were greeted warmly by the tribe leader Grumlo. The gray gorilla greeted the lions and Eris with a bow, which they returned, the Guardians following suit, assuming it to be a tradition between the tribes.
"Greetings, lion dudes," Grumlo greeted. "What brings you here, and are these groovy strangers your friends?"
Laval explained who the Guardians were and what brought them to Chima; then, he informed the gorillas that the Crawlers attacked the crocodiles again and that the group was making routine checks. He also explained that some of the Guardians were accompanying them for the sake of making introductions.
"Keep your wits about you," Laval warned. "The attacks on the crocs, a Chi popping up in a foreign realm, the Guardians' arrival… there's something fishy going on."
"Our leader, Mack, thinks this is all connected," Lloyd added.
"We're instructing all tribes that are part of the Fellowship to increase patrols in and around their territories," Laval finished.
Grumlo nodded. "We will double our patrols in the jungle and report any gnarly happenings."
"Thank you, Grumlo," Laval gave another bow.
The aged gorilla gave a bow of his own. "Good to meet you, groovy Guardians."
"You too, dude," Kai replied as the Guardians returned the gesture. Nya managed to resist the urge to snicker.
Meanwhile, the second group had entered the Outlands and were approaching the location Eris pointed out. They decided to go on foot rather than ride their energy dragons, which would have shortened their trip but might have frightened the spiders.
"We're getting close to the place," Mack said softly. "Tread lightly. The spiders might not be allies of the scorpions and bats, but that does not mean they are friendly to us."
"Hey, are you sure this is a good idea?" Morro asked. "Aren't you arachnophobic?"
Mack stopped and stared daggers at everyone in the group, one after the other from left to right.
"Who told you that?" the Green Ninja demanded.
"Kasey," Morro cracked up and pointed at the Water Guardian. "She told us about that Halloween prank she pulled on you years ago."
Kasey bashfully shrugged, containing her laughter.
Mack rolled his eyes. "So what if I have arachnophobia? It doesn't matter—Lagravis asked me to talk to the spiders, so that's what I'm going to do. I've taught you all not to let fear get in the way of your duty; time to practice what I preach."
They continued to approach and as they did, they noticed that the ground had increasingly dense silk threads across it.
"They'll know we're coming," Jay said. "Spiders spin threads like this to sense incoming—well, incoming…"
"Incoming what?" Kasey asked.
"Prey," Pete answered.
Around a bend in the trees, the spider huts came into view. As soon as they walked into the clearing, they were set upon by spider men holding spears. They didn't attack, but they quickly surrounded the Guardians.
"Easy," Mack said shakily. "We come in p-peace."
"Silence," one of the spiders hissed. "Save your words for the queen."
The guards quickly whisked the Guardians to the large central hut. It was dark inside. Mack shivered when the webbings rustled as a large spider crawled out of a hole in the wall.
"Bring the green one before me," the spider whom the Guardians perceived to be the queen rasped. "Hold the others back."
The guards pulled Mack forward, closer to the queen—much too close for his comfort. At a certain point they moved behind him and pushed him face to face with the giant spider. She stroked his face with her pedipalps. He was frozen.
"You have the bearing of a leader, yet I can smell a great deal of fear. State your name."
"M-Mack," the Green Ninja choked out.
"I am Spinlyn, sovereign queen of the Spider Tribe." She stopped harassing his face and backed off slightly. "I have never seen anything like you before. What are you, and why have you come before me?"
Mack took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "We are the Guardians; we're not native to this realm. We're humans. The word is you've turned on the scorpions and bats, so I've come on behalf of the Lion Tribe to offer you a chance to join the Fellowship of Chi."
Spinlyn hissed and spat. "The king of the scorpions—Scorm—lost his mind months ago. Became obsessed with revenge on the Chima tribes. I was in agreement at first, but his plans were downright stupid."
"Stupid how?" Mack asked.
"He wanted to harden our army by repeatedly attacking the crocodiles. He said he would know they were ready if they could successfully steal Chi from them. Chi! The very substance that made our existence a living hell! Gave us hopes of power but led us right back to banishment in these desolate Outlands!
"I told him then that I would not involve my tribe in his schemes, and he took that as a betrayal. He turned the Scorpion and Bat Tribes on us and ran us out of our shared territory, forcing us to relocate to this place."
Mack thought about this for a moment. "So, the attacks weren't really about the Chi. They were just raiding the Crocodile Tribe as field training since they're one of the toughest tribes?"
"Apparently," Spinlyn hissed. "Scorm also spoke of building a fortress in a new location."
"But they did take the Chi, and they did keep it.I think they're up to something more than you or I know, and we could use your help—"
"I don't care what you think, human. Just because that scorpion slime betrayed me does not mean I will join Chima. I want nothing more to do with either side of this."
Mack frowned. "Don't you want justice for your tribe?"
"What I want for my tribe is to be left alone!" Spinlyn lunged and Mack nearly fell over backwards.
"Will you at least tell me where the scorpions and bats have built this fortress you mentioned?"
"I do not know. And if I did, I would not tell you."
Mack exhaled, feeling that he had failed.
"Do not test my patience further, foreigner," Spinlyn growled. "Take your goons and leave my village before I cease tolerating your presence. As a courtesy, my guards will show you a quicker way back to Chima than the way you came. It's getting dark, and the Outlands are no place to be after nightfall."
With that, the Guardians were promptly escorted out of the spider village and shown the promised shortcut. The spider guards made sure the Guardians knew that, should they return, they will not receive so warm a welcome as they did today.
The next few of the first group's stops went as smoothly as the first. The rhinos were straightforward, the visit to the bears took the longest because they kept falling asleep, and the ravens wanted some extra financial incentive in return for increasing their patrols (Laval put that to rest by reminding the tribe leader Razar that there was already an agreement in place since the ravens were members of the Fellowship of Chi).
All of those warrior tribes accepted the Lion Tribe's instructions to increase patrols and report suspicious activity, with extra urgency if any signs of the Outland Tribes were sighted.
Eris would take those instructions back to Eagle Spire when she returned. There was no concern over whether the Eagle Tribe would cooperate, as they and the Lion Tribe had a long-standing respect for each other.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the last stop was wolf territory, and Laval warned the Guardians that the wolves were generally more sensitive than the other tribes when it came to taking orders from the lions.
"Do they not respect you as much as the other tribes do?" Cole asked as they were approaching the wolf village.
"No, they respect us," Laval replied. "They just also demand that we respect their sovereignty."
Laterus continued, "Our alliance, the Fellowship of Chi, obliges the tribes to comply when we ask them to take measures that contribute to the safety of the other tribes, but it generally goes over better with the wolves if we phrase our orders as more of a… request."
"If you ask me," Li'ella added, "it's ridiculous. If they want to partake of Chi and enjoy the lions' protection, they should honor the agreement and follow our instructions, no questions asked."
"I agree," Laval said, "but my father says the wolves' hesitance keeps our tribe accountable. It makes us ensure that our orders are really for the good of all the tribes before we give them."
"The wolves are a powerful tribe," Eris explained. "They're probably the second strongest after the lions. In my opinion, they have a right to exert a certain amount of leverage as long as it's used for Chima's best interest."
"Politics is so boring," Kai groaned.
"Boring politics is better than constant war," Nya gently berated her brother.
A younger Kai may have rolled his eyes, but ever since Danny was killed in battle, the Fire Guardian found himself hoping for peace rather than action. And if that meant having to listen to boring political talk that never accomplished anything measurable… then, so be it.
The group soon arrived in wolf territory and was greeted at the village gates by a pair of wolf guards standing just inside the village perimeter.
One of the wolves greeted the group. "Lions, eagle, and… the rest…" the wolves looked at each other and shrugged. "What can we do for you this evening?"
"The crocs were attacked," Laval explained. "We need to speak with Worriz and ask the wolves to increase their territorial patrols."
Both guards flinched.
"That is bad news," the first guard replied. "Worriz is, unfortunately, unwell this evening. He is not accepting any visitors."
"And, as is tradition when our leader is unwell," the other guard continued, "the entire tribe must remain inside the village walls until he is well again."
"So, there will be no patrols," the first guard finished. "We bid you a good night, friends."
Lloyd squinted but Zee put a hand on his shoulder. He understood. The situation was suspicious, but now wasn't the time to be hostile.
"Well," Laval said, "I'm sorry to hear Worriz is unwell. I hope he recovers soon."
"Perhaps," Laterus offered, "we could send a squad of lions to cover your patrols until your own warriors are able to leave the village."
The second wolf guard shook his head. "Some of our people may see that as a sign of weakness from us, and more may see it as encroachment by your tribe."
"The best course of action for now is to leave us alone," the first guard said. "We appreciate your visit."
Laval got the idea: they weren't welcome.
"Very well," Laval said. "Have a good night."
Once the visiting group was out of sight, the guards talked about what had just happened.
"I guess those would be the 'Guardians' that he told us about," the first wolf observed.
"I think you're right," the second wolf agreed. "First that shadowy warrior comes to threaten us, and now those aliens appear—our world is being invaded."
"How long can we fool them?" the first wolf asked. "Eventually they'll become suspicious."
"They already are," the second wolf replied, "but it doesn't matter. The shadow man has our leader. He said no one of our tribe must leave the village, nor are we to entertain anyone of the other tribes. And if we don't do as hesays, he'll kill Worriz."
The first wolf sighed. "And if he orders us to attack our allies?"
After a moment of thought, the second wolf answered, "We will do whatever is necessary to save the life of our tribe's leader—without reservation."
Both wolves silently begged the ancestors to forgive their tribe for being too weak to protect their leader from the shadows closing in on Chima.