Lesson Six: “The Review”

"I can't see anything."

"Where are you?"

"I'm right here."

"Guys, I'm scared. What if we can't find our way out of this darkness?"

"If we stick together, we’ll find our way back," said Amir. "Remember, we're the Knights of Tribeca— a little danger’s never stopped us before!"

"True, but at least we could see the dangers we’ve faced. We don’t know what’s hiding in this darkness," said Ines.

"You're right. We need to prepare for the unexpected. Hope alone won’t protect us. So, I have an idea. Huddle up. We don’t want to give away our plan!" whispered Amir.

The Knights drew close, their frosty breath creating clouds in the midnight air.

"So, if we plan on escaping this impenetrable darkness..."

"The Night Realm!" interjected Ines.

"Yes, the Night Realm," continued Amir. "We need to do two things. One: choose a direction. Two: disguise our movements. That way, if a strange creature does manage to pick up our scent, we’ll lose them in no time.

“How exactly will we disguise our movements? Sounds tricky,” said Ines.

"Here's what we'll do. We’ll move like we’re dancing—three steps in an L shape. Here’s how it goes… One, two, step to the side, step to the side, one, two! One, two, step to the side, step to the side, one, two! Come on, try it!"

The group stomped their feet in unison, their hooves crunching the chilled grass as they practiced their new dance.

At that very moment, on the other side of the kingdom, King Mateo and his friends were preparing a daring rescue mission.

“It'll be a bit before we reach the Night Realm,” said King Mateo, steering through the city and into the kingdom's rolling hills. “So, why don’t we do a quick superpowers recap. By the way, if you give the right answer, you get an extra snack!” the group cheered in excitement. King Mateo always has the best snacks!

“First question—how do the Puppies move and capture danger?"

"Ooh, I know!" said Harry. "We move forward, one square at a time. And if we haven’t left our starting line, each one of us can choose to jump two squares on our first move. After that, we move one step at a time. Oh, and we can capture anything that's standing one square away, as long as it's on our forward diagonal."

"Correct!" said King Mateo, as Harry’s siblings cheered. "Well done! Here’s your snack!"

"Next, how do the Bull Rooks move and capture?"

Luca nodded, his version of a hand raise. King Mateo nodded back.

"We can move as far and as fast as we like in a straight line, up and down, side to side. Basically, wherever our force fields go, we go. And we can capture anything that falls inside our force field."

"Yes!" cried King Mateo as he tossed Luca his snack.

"Perfect! Now, what about me?" asked King Mateo. "How do I move and capture?"

A cluster of hands shot up.

"Since you're the King, you can move in every direction. But because you're cautious, and you've got an injured ankle, you move slowly. One step at a time. And you capture anything that comes near you, anything that's one step away. Well, anything not on your team, that is." explained Sho.

“Well said, Sho. What else?"

Helena jumped in with an answer. "You have an allergy to danger, that's why you wear your device, it warns you of danger nearby. And when the alarm sounds, you'll be given one chance to escape. So you either move outside the danger’s reach, or you ask for help and one of us will block the danger from reaching you. Oh, I almost forgot, if the danger is within reach, you can capture it yourself. But don’t stay too close to the danger for too long, otherwise you get captured! That’s why you make sure to only stand near your teammates, and you stay clear of any and all force fields. This rule extends to your brother, the infamous Shadow King,” she grinned. No standing next to him. It’s illegal!"

King Mateo chuckled. "Hahaha! Ok, we’ll include him on our danger list. Great answer, Helena."

Helena's eyes sparkled with pride. Yet that sparkle was lost, as a deep shadow engulfed our adventurers. A hush came over the landscape.

Bringing the Landys to a halt, they absorbed the eerie sight. It was as if a black hole had landed here, on Earth. Without realizing it, our adventurers were about to embark on the most nerve-wracking of adventures.

__

"We’re going in there?" mumbled a nervous Harry.

King Mateo cleared the nerves from his throat. "As soon as we exit the Landy, we'll be engulfed in the unknown. So let's go over our rescue plan one last time. As my father always said, 'Preparation is the key to success.'"

All eyes were on him.

"Korben is with Wilbur at the castle, in case any missing friends arrive. So, they're sorted. Puppies, Ralph, you're with me. But before we enter the Night Realm, let’s get in formation: shoulder to shoulder, in a horizontal line. Bull Rooks, you’ll stand behind the puppies, two on each end, ready to unleash your Pillars of Power. As soon as you can, activate those force fields. We’ll need the light to guide us."

The Brothers and Cousins Bull nodded in agreement.

"Ok, that leaves me. I’ll share a rank with the Rooks, except I'll stand in the center, between the Rooks.” King Mateo continued. "From there I can direct our movements and maintain cover. Because, remember everyone, if I’m hurt or captured, it’s game over for us. Ok team, let's do this!"

The group grabbed their supply packs and took their first steps towards the Night Realm.

"Look at this place," said Helena. "It’s like visiting another planet. On our side, it's daylight, but in the Night Realm, it's like walking into a black hole. So creepy."

King Mateo felt the familiar tightness in his chest but reminded himself: "I'm okay, I'm safe, I’m loved. Breathe."

"Ready when you are King!" barked the puppies.

"One last thing," said King Mateo, pulling a small pouch from his vest. Inside were tiny medals stamped with the Royal Tribecean seal.

"Puppies, because of your unfailing courage and loyalty, I am officially appointing you all members of the Royal Guard of Puppy Pawns, Defenders of the Crown. You too Ralph!”

He fastened a medal onto each vest. The Puppies beamed with pride.

"And," he added, "your code name: The Butterflies."

“Is it because we can transform like butterflies? Except, instead of turning into a caterpillar, we can become..." Sam, the puppy pawn looked around. "... a Bull Rook?”

"Exactly," said Mateo. "All you have to do is to make it to the other side of the board. Or in this case, the Night Realm, and you’ll unlock this superpower.”

"I want to transform into you, King Mateo!" giggled Basil, one of the puppy pawns.

King Mateo chuckled. “You can turn into anyone—except me or another Puppy," Mateo smiled. "Plenty of creatures still to meet."

"King Mateo, a moment please," said Luca as he lead the King off to the driver’s side of the Landy. “Your brother Korben asked me to keep an eye on you. He said I should remind you, that if you're feeling overwhelmed, to do your breathing exercises. You know, the 4-4-8 method—breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, and exhale for eight."

Mateo softly smiled. “Is my anxiety that obvious?”

Luca shrugged. “Not really. I just get it, you know? Just remember, we're in this together.”

King Mateo placed a hand on Luca's strong back. "I'm glad you're here. We make a good team. Now let's go before we lose our nerve!"

So off they went, King Mateo, the Bull rooks, and all sixteen puppies into the blackness of the Night Realm. Will our adventurers find what they are looking for? Will they escape unharmed?

Come back next week to find out!