Lesson Seven: “Knight Vision”

The sound of crunching leaves set everyone's nerves on edge.

"One, two, step to the side, step to the side one, two."

“Keep to the center of the path," said Pony Boy. “That way, we’ll be in a better position to capture dangerous creatures—or escape them—if necessary. Remember, in The Night Realm, "life on the rim is grim".

"But how do we know if we're in the center when we can't see anything?"

"Fair point. Everyone stop where you are."

The rustling ceased.

“Time to engage additional sensory systems. Ask yourselves: does it feel, sound, or smell like we’re near the edge of the path?"

"No edge here."

"Clear over here."

"We’re good on this side."

"Excellent. Let's keep moving. Remember, three steps at a time—in the shape of an L, and don’t be afraid to jump over any obstacle,”  instructed Pony Boy.

“One two, step to the side, step to the side, one two,” he hummed.

The Knights' progress was slow and tense. The unrelenting darkness was taking its toll on Pony Boy, Ines, Leo, and Amir.

The group froze. Through the swampy black air came the pitter-patter of tiny padded feet.

"What is that?" asked Leo as he tried to keep his voice level. "What’s your radar say?" responded Ines.

Pony Boy waited. The Knights' Radar System measures geological movements and is perfect for detecting invisible danger. It remained silent. He waited a moment more... then—buzz. A faint tremor appeared on the screen. It was growing stronger.

"There’s something out there," Pony Boy said quietly. "Feels off. We’re definitely not alone."

"Lads," he said, "we have company. Time to activate Knight-Vision. But remember, once it’s on, we only have five minutes to locate and neutralize the danger. After that—it’s lights out. We only get one shot. Let’s make it count. On my mark... ready, steady, now!"

The Knights flipped on their Knight Goggles. Shapes emerged from the darkness, small ones at first, followed by two, no four large, horned creatures. It was still too dim to tell how dangerous they might be.

"The moment they come into range, pounce!" said Pony Boy.

"Remind me again—what’s our range?" asked Leo.

“Three squares. If you can reach them using your L-shaped move, then they’re in range. Doesn’t matter if it’s forward, backward, or sideways. Just remember the dance, ‘One two, step to the side, step to the side, one two!’ Now come along, we haven’t much time left!"

The Knights sprang into action. They moved swiftly, capturing and tying up the strange creatures that crossed their path. But within minutes their Knight-Vision goggles began to flicker and fade. The darkness returned.

"Well that worked, but now we need to find our way out of this darkness.”

Pony Boy turned to their captives. "Whoever you are, it’s time to walk. Don’t give us trouble and we won’t give you any. Capish?"

The Knights trudged forward through the pitch-black air, leading their gaggle of captives. Then, a voice rang out.

"There! Look! Light!" someone shouted.

A speck of brightness grew on the horizon. The Knights began to cheer.

"We made it!"

Blinded by the sudden burst of daylight, the Knights struggled to adjust their eyes.

Bit by bit, they blinked their way to full sight.

Pony Boy froze as he looked onto the group of captives. "Oh no…” his voice dropped. “We should’ve thought twice before leaping into action… we were too quick to judge.”

Ines came and stood next to her brothers, Pony Boy and Amir. Leo, the youngest, stood behind them, rooted to the spot.

“Pony,” said Ines, “They're not Night Realm monsters, they're…” She turned to the King. “Forgive us, Your Majesty, we didn’t realize who you were! Had we known, we would’ve never… we really do need to slow down and think a bit more before acting.” she said regretfully.

Amir quickly untied the King. He turned to the King’s group of friends. “I’m sorry. We thought... we thought you were miniature monsters."

King Mateo laughed with relief. "Honestly, now that we know you’re not monsters either, I think we owe you thanks. If you hadn’t captured us, we might still be lost in that darkness!"

"Puppy Pawns, Bull Rooks—meet my missing friends, the Royal Knights of Tribeca!" said the King, proudly introducing the horses.

"And speaking of relief," he added, "I'd say it's time to go home. Knights, please join us. I can't wait to hear what brought you to the Night Realm! And then maybe, just maybe, we can convince you to help us with our rescue mission!"

Suddenly, the Knights looked a bit embarrassed.

"What's the matter? Do you not want to join us on our adventures?"

"King Mateo, there would be no greater honor than to accompany you… But we can speak candidly? We've realized we're not ready for the full-time responsibilities of Knighthood. We're just four silly horses that like to dance in an L shape. How could we possibly be of use to you or the Kingdom?"

King Mateo knowingly nodded his head. "I see. You prefer dancing and sneak attacks do you?"

Silence. The Knights looked at the floor.

"It's okay, there's no reason to feel guilty. For a long time, I didn’t want to be tied down by royal responsibilities either. Looking back, I can finally appreciate how wisely my parents handled it. They gave me the time and space I needed to grow, and they never forced me into anything before I was ready. Most importantly, they truly listened—especially when I shared my fears and anxieties.”

King Mateo continued. “I want the same for you. There’s no pressure. You don’t need to make any big decisions. Take your time. Be thoughtful. Gather the facts, see how they apply to your own path, and then give yourself a night or two or three to sleep on it. And if you'd like someone to talk it over with, I’m here—happy to listen and help you sort through things, but only if that’s what you want.”

"And in the meantime, you're more than welcome to join us back at the castle. A warm meal and a good night’s rest might be just what we all need after everything we’ve been through in the Night Realm. Again, there's no pressure though. Talk it over while we load the Landys."

"Ooohh, do come along! That way we can teach the Knights our favorite garden game!" said the puppies. "Whatdoyasay??"

"Puppies! That's not very kind, We just promised to not pressure them! Our role is to be good friends, we shouldn't make them feel bad if they want to do something else!"

“Oh right, sorry Knights. We got a bit too excited. It’s ok, you can say no if you want to.”

"It's ok, King," said Ines. "We'd like to stay at the castle for a couple of days. That will give us a chance to talk things over. Joining your mission might be a good idea."

And back to the castle they went, happy as could be.

Tune in next week to see what adventures await our merry band!

While you wait, why not meet the Knights in real life?